Doubles Take: Strycova's podcast, Mirza's honor & more

Doubles Take looks at what the pros are doing off-court.

RAISING THE ‘BAR’

World No. 2 Barbora Strycova, widely regarded as one of the more engaging personalities on the WTA Tour, has found a way to share that part of herself with the masses during the layoff.

The Czech has started a new podcast titled “U Baru,” which translates into “In the Bar.”

Even though tennis stars Dominika Cibulkova and Belinda Bencic have hopped on, the guest list isn’t restricted to people from the sport, as other Czech  and Slovak personalities have made appearances.

SHE’S GOT ‘HEART’

Sania Mirza’s start to 2020 already had her in the Comeback-Player-of-the-Year discussions, as she won her first event of the year after taking time off to become a mom. One of India’s greatest athletes, Mirza also made her return to Fed Cup after a four-year hiatus and won all three of the ties she contested in March.

Now she has another accolade for her efforts.

Mirza,  the Asia/Oceania winner, was also the first Indian to ever be nominated for the award.

HARDLY WORKING? NO, WORKING HARD

There’s one thing you can bet on in men’s doubles, post-pandemic: Jamie Murray will not be losing a match due to a lack of fitness.

The seven-time major titlist has been sharing his off-the-court workouts on Instagram and as this post indicates, it’s a team effort: Murray’s wife Alejandra is helping him tighten up his footwork.

JOYEAUX ANNIVERSAIRE

Birthdays are a whole new animal in the age of quarantining. Three-time Grand Slam champion Timea Babos celebrated hers at home in Hungary. She was first and foremost in the thoughts of her good friend and title-winning teammate, Kristina Mladenovic.

The duo extended their streak of capturing at least one major in a season to three years with their victory in Melbourne this year, which came only a couple of months after their second straight WTA Finals triumph.

WHEN IN ROME…

This week, both tours would have been in Rome for the Italian Open, the last major tuneup before Roland Garros. Former world No. 1 Latisha Chan hasn’t forgotten, sharing some highlights of her run to the semifinals last year with her sister, Hao-Ching.

Latisha Chan has won in Rome twice before, most recently in 2017 with Martina Hingis.