SHENZHEN, China (AP) — Linda Noskova and Karolina Muchova, who faced off in the Wimbledon final in July, have now teamed up to secure the Billie Jean King Cup for Czechia. In the final held on Sunday, both players won their singles matches, leading their team to a 2-0 victory over Ukraine.
Read More
Noskova, ranked sixth, clinched the win by defeating seventh-ranked Elina Svitolina, finishing with scores of 6-3, 7-6 (5). Earlier, Muchova, ranked eighth, triumphed over 47th-ranked Anhelina Kalinina with a score of 6-2, 6-3. This victory marks Czechia's 12th title in the competition previously known as the Fed Cup and its first since 2018. The United States holds the record with 18 titles but did not qualify for this year’s finals.
Czech captain Barbora Strycova made history by becoming the fourth woman to win the competition both as a player and captain, joining the ranks of Margaret Court, Chris Evert, and Billie Jean King. Strycova secured three titles as a player with Czechia before taking on the captaincy this year.
Czechia dominated throughout the tournament, having shut out Britain in the quarterfinals and Spain in the semifinals, which meant that their top-ranked doubles standout, Katerina Siniakova, did not have to compete all week.
In this year's Wimbledon final, Noskova claimed her first Grand Slam title against Muchova. Ukraine, which made its debut in the finals after eliminating two-time defending champion Italy in the semifinals, played without 10th-ranked Marta Kostyuk due to a wrist injury.