After a five-year absence from the WTA Tour, Lucie Safarova is set to make her return at the upcoming Livesport Prague Open. She will compete as a wildcard in singles qualifying and in doubles, teaming up with Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
Since stepping away from professional tennis in 2019, the 2015 Roland Garros finalist has embraced new roles as the wife of former NHL hockey player Tomas Plekanec and mother to her two children: four-and-a-half-year-old daughter Leontynka and two-year-old son Oliver.
Despite the demands of family life, her passion for tennis has remained unwavering. Now, she is ready to thrill fans once again with her exceptional skills and sportsmanship. Notably, the big return will happen in Prague, where she was given an emotional retirement ceremony five years ago.
The 37-year-old Czech tennis star surprised her fans by returning to the courts last fall, participating in a small ITF doubles tournament in Reims, France. However, due to procedural setbacks, the former doubles world No. 1 had to leave the tournament after winning her first-round match. Last month, she played a singles match at an ITF tournament in Stare Splavy, Czech Republic, where she faced a tough opponent in American Katrina Scott.
She has also recently played a couple of matches in doubles,…
