Helena Suková

Professional tennis player Helena Suková excelled in the doubles, winning 14 Grand Slam titles, four Fed Cup titles, two Olympic silver medals, and being ranked world number one in February 1990. Suková represented Czechoslovakia from 1983 to 1992 before representing the Czech Republic from 1993 to 1998. In addition to her achievements as a doubles player she was also ranked as the world number four in the singles. Suková earned more than $6.3 million in prize money during her career and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in January 2018.

Suková won her first WTA singles title in January 1982 at the Newport News tournament in Virginia with victory against Patricia Medrado. Suková won a further nine singles titles up to November 1992 but it was in the doubles that she had the most success, winning 69 titles from 1984 to 1998. Her first doubles title came at the 1984 Avon Cup in Florida with partner Hana Mandlíková. Suková had lengthy and successful partnerships with Claudia Kohde-Kilsch, Jana Novotná, and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario.

At Grand Slams Suková reached four singles finals, two at the Australian Open and two at the US Open, but finished as the runner-up each time. In the doubles she reached 14 finals, winning nine titles, with four different partners. Her first two titles came with Claudia Kohde-Kilsch with victory at the 1985 US Open and the 1987 Wimbledon championship. Suková’s next partnership was with Jana Novotná, with the pair triumphant at Wimbledon in 1989, along with victory at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon in 1990. Suková then won the 1992 Australian Open and the 1993 US Open with Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, before winning Wimbledon in 1996 with Martina Hingis. In the mixed doubles Suková played in eight finals where she won five titles with two different partners. She won the French Open (1991) and Wimbledon (1996, 1997) with her brother Cyril Suk. Suková won the 1993 US Open and the 1994 Wimbledon championship with Todd Woodbridge.

Suková competed at three consecutive Olympic Games; 1988 Seoul, 1992 Barcelona, and 1996 Atlanta. In Seoul and Atlanta she played in the doubles with Jana Novotná with the pair winning the silver medal on both occasions.