–

As popular a player as Lucie Safarova was during her distinguished career, it kind of went under the radar that she announced back in March that she would be getting “Team Bucie” back together, with bestie Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

Even back then, the WTA tournament in Prague was already there with a doubles wild card in hand.

Safarova even said that she’d like to try playing some of the North American hard-court tournaments in August.

Well, fast forward four months or so, and it seems Safarova won’t just be satisfied with doubles.

The Prague tournament, which takes place next week on red clay, announced on Thursday that Safarova also has received a wild card into the singles qualifying on the weekend.

Bomba v kvalifikaci! 💣 Lucie Šafářová si zahraje o hlavní soutěž Livesport Prague Open 2024. 👀 U toho bys neměl chybět! 😱

🎫 Vstupenky najdete na https://t.co/k3YJTowWSD pic.twitter.com/5KIjG4ka6l

— Livesport Prague Open (@livesportprague) July 18, 2024

The fact that they “retired” her in that very same city five years ago is just some kind of symmetry.

Mom on a Mission* – at 37

(* – Favorite WTA social-media meme)

Safarova retired in 2019 – and she’s now a mother of two with husband Tomas Plekanec, a former standout player for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey league.

The lefty reached No. 5 in the singles rankings back in Sept. 2015, with seven career titles. She was a finalist at Roland Garros in 2015, and a semifinalist at Wimbledon the year before that.

In doubles, she got to No. 1 just before the 2017 US Open, with 15 career titles. That included the Australian Open and Roland Garros that year, the US Open in 2016, and the Australian Open and Roland Garros in 2015 – all with Mattek-Sands.

Safarova’s last official singles match came in Quebec City in 2018, where she lost to Ons Jabeur, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 7-5 in the first round. Jabeur was ranked No. 116 at the time.

She did play a tournament in Reims, France last October, shere she won her first round in singles but then withdrew before her second-round match.

And she played again a few weeks ago, at a $60K clay ITF in Stare Splavy, Czechia. She lost 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3 to young American Katrina Scott.

In both that event and another the previous week, she partnered in doubles with a 15-year-old named Anna Dvorackova. That name might not mean anything to you, but she’s Safarova’s niece.

Safarova through the years – a pictorial

We hadn’t realized we had so many Safarova pics in the archives. But she’s been a popular subject through the years.

Check out this photo gallery – which is at once an inventory of some truly appalling Nike outfits over the years, a chronicle of Safarova’s various hair-colour choices, and the evolution of coach Rob Steckley’s follicular choices.

There are also a few Aleksandra Wozniak sightings, for Canadian fans.

(If you appreciate the content, why not click on an ad or two while you’re here? Gracias!)

Team Bucie, V 2.0

You knew that Safarova was still keeping fit in the spring, when her old coach Steckley – a Canadian currently coaching the best prospect in the Canadian system in Marina Stakusic – brought Stakusic to Czechia for some training and advice from Safarova.

Meanwhile, Mattek-Sands, 39, was gone for awhile but has come back strongly in doubles.

She hasn’t had a “regular” partner over the last few years. But in 2024, she has teamed up most often with countrywoman Sofia Kenin. And the two have bagged a couple of big titles together already: Abu Dhabi and Miami.

Mattek-Sands, who was outside the top 500 in doubles at the end of the 2022 season, is back up to No. 25.

Wherever it leads, or doesn’t lead, it will be great to see the smiling Safarova on court both in singles, and with her best pal in doubles.

About Post Author