A #1 as good as unknown

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If tomorrow you go out on the street, any street, and ask people passing by about Katerina Siniakova, you must be very lucky to find someone who doesn't look like they understand a thing. This reality has existed throughout the history of the tennis circuit, where doubles players barely have a voice in the media, to the extent that even the World No. 1 can become unknown to those who are not regular users. Czech player addressed this matter and related issues in an interview with Tennis Majors.

But before getting into the heart of the matter, it's worth reviewing the journey of a woman who has always excelled in this category from the beginning. "In all tournaments, from a very young age, I used to play both singles and doubles," recalls the 28-year-old tennis player. "I never focused solely on one discipline; my intention was to excel in both. It always felt very pleasant to me, until the moment I turned professional, when the paths diverged a bit, but it never crossed my mind to play one circuit without the other. Everything went well for me, so I decided to keep it that way," she asserts.

And that's how her journey began, accumulating titles to become one of the best in her country and a reference in modern times. "In tennis, it's hard to look back; sometimes, you don't even remember what happened the week before. In fact, when you win a title, you barely have 24 hours to think about it. Definitely, I believe I'm having an incredible career, although I'll be more aware of it when it ends. If I had to choose something, it would be the Olympics, as it's an event even people who don't usually follow certain sports watch, unlike the Grand Slams," she compares from Hradec Kralove.

Of course, we will not only highlight that Siniakova is currently the world No. 1 in doubles, she has also managed to break into the top 30 in singles. "It helped me, especially at the beginning of my career, with serving and returning, as in doubles you need to be much more solid in those aspects because you have a player at the net," she acknowledges from the perspective of experience. "To this day, it still helps me; I've noticed it in some individual matches, it helped me a lot to move forward to the net, a place where I had already been. It has helped me improve my reflexes and be quicker, although I suppose this is also a bit natural, as I never practiced it."

A SILENCED CIRCUIT

What's the bad news in all of this? That in doubles, no matter how much you win, how high you climb, it's almost impossible to break through the final barrier: the media. "It's nothing like singles; in fact, I feel that even being No. 1 doesn't help me get certain advantages, like training courts or media presence, things that can make a difference," points out the Czech. "This summer, nothing changed even after winning Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and an Olympic gold... which is quite sad. Personally, I feel like I've achieved a lot in doubles, but no one cares. At this point, I've accepted it; I don't think it will change, so I prefer to save that energy for other matters," she states with some regret.

Despite everything, choosing between singles and doubles was never an option in her mind, making an understandable analogy on a larger scale. "Singles was and will remain my priority; my calendar always focuses on singles. I never train thinking solely about doubles, even if it sounds a bit crazy. At some point, I contemplated changing my schedule, not playing as many doubles draws, but I never thought about giving it up. In the phase where many people told me to focus only on singles, my feeling was that it would be harder to sustain myself financially... plus, I've always enjoyed playing doubles a lot, so I wouldn't give it up for anything," she concludes.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Una Nº1 tan buena como desconocida