Baby Bee: Strycova announces pregnancy

Former WTA doubles No. 1 Barbora Strycova made a big announcement on Friday, debuting her "baby bump" on social media.

"I used to hate getting bakery products (bagels mainly) on court," she wrote on Twitter. "However now when there is a little bun in the oven, I couldn’t be happier!"

Strycova enjoyed a slew of peaks immediately pre-pandemic, qualifying for back-to-back WTA Finals, reaching her first Grand Slam singles semifinal at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships, and won her first major title at that same event in women's doubles alongside Hsieh Su-Wei.

Already looking towards a future with longtime partner and Elle Czech Editor Petr Matejcek, she had been tentatively plotting a farewell season at the start of 2021—one that she had hoped would include a return to the Olympic Games, having earned a women's doubles bronze medal in 2016.

"It’s tough sometimes to enjoy this career right now because of all of the restrictions," she said of the so-called "bubble life" ahead of the Australian Open. "When you get to the tournament, you’re dealing with health protocols and constant tests. I want to see if I still even enjoy it, and maybe re-evaluate in March or April."

Spring has indeed brought a major change of plans for the Czech, who played her last matches in Melbourne. Regardless of whether she plans to resume her career after "Baby Bee" arrives, Strycova has plenty of ideas on how to write her next chapter.

"The first thing is that I want to start having a family," she said. "That’s the first thing. Secondly, I would like to learn more about the podcast industry, since I’m currently working on one. I’d also like to be able to start something in the fashion industry. I love fashion and have a lot of friends who are involved in that space, so I might like to be, as well. I also think about my sister, who runs a supper club and is very into healthy cooking. I would like to spend more time with her because she lives in the States, in Jacksonville, and hopefully we could start running kid’s tennis camps."