Helena Suková () (born 23 February 1965) is a Czech former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the world No. 1 in women's doubles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), and No. 4 in singles. Suková won 14 major titles: nine in women's doubles and five in mixed doubles. She is also a two-time Olympic silver medalist in doubles, a four-time major singles runner-up, and won a total of ten singles titles and 69 doubles titles.
Family
Suková comes from a prominent Czech tennis family. Her mother, Věra Pužejová Suková, was a women's singles finalist at Wimbledon in 1962. Her father, Cyril Suk II, was president of the Czechoslovak Tennis Federation.
Suková helped Czechoslovakia win the Fed Cup four times, in 1983, 1984, 1985, and 1988. She also teamed with Miloslav Mečíř to win the inaugural Hopman Cup for Czechoslovakia in 1989.
Over the course of her career, Suková won 10 singles titles and 69 doubles titles. Despite retiring from the professional tour in 1998, she was given a wild card into the 2006 Wimbledon mixed doubles tournament with her brother, Cyril Suk III. They lost their first-round match.
Post-retirement activity
In 1999, Suková helped re-establish the International Lawn Tennis Club of the Czech Republic and became its president.
From January 2001 until June 2008, she was a co-opted member of the executive committee of the Council of the International Clubs. From February 2001 until November 2008, she served on the presidium of the Czech Olympians' Club. In June 2007, Suková was appointed by The Czech Olympic Committee to the presidium of the Czech Fair Play Club. She is also a co-founder of the Kids and Junior Tennis Advancement Organization in the Czech Republic.
Helena Sukova is also a member of the 'Champions for Peace' club, a group of 90 famous athletes committed to serving peace in the world through sport, created by Peace and Sport, a Monaco-based international organization.
Helena Sukova got her university doctorate degree in psychology, and since February 2011, has served as a vice president of the Association of Sport Psychologists in the Czech Republic, and served on the working group of the Task Force on Sport Psychology of the European Federation of Psychologists' Associations. She works as a psychologist on a regular basis with her clientele, who range from non-sporting circles to former or current professional athletes.
Hall of Fame induction
On 24 January 2018, Helena Sukova was elected into the Tennis Hall of Fame.
Grand Slam performance timeline
Singles
{|class=wikitable style=text-align:center;font-size:97%
|-
! Tournament !! 1981 !! 1982 !! 1983 !! 1984 !! 1985 !! 1986 !! 1987 !! 1988 !! 1989 !! 1990 !! 1991 !! 1992 !! 1993 !! 1994 !! 1995 !! 1996 !! 1997 !! 1998 !!
|-
|bgcolor=#EFEFEF align=left| Australian Open
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R
|align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;"|F
|align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF
|align="center" |NH
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R
|align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF
|align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;"|F
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|SF
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R
|align="center" |A
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R
|38–16
|-
|bgcolor=#EFEFEF align=left| French Open
|align="center" |A
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|SF
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R
|align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R
|align="center" |A
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R
|align="center" |A
|align="center" |A
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R
|align="center" |A
|21–13
|-
|bgcolor=#EFEFEF align=left|Wimbledon
|align="center" |A
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R
|align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF
|align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF
|align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF
|align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R
|align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R
|39–17
|-
|bgcolor=#EFEFEF align=left|US Open
|align="center" |A
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R
|align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF
|align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF
|align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;"|F
|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|SF
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R
|align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R
|align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;"|F
|align="center" |A
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R
|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R
|align="center" |A
|45–15
|-
|align=left|Year-end ranking
|74
|25
|16
|bgcolor=EEE8AA|7
|bgcolor=EEE8AA|9
|bgcolor=EEE8AA|5
|bgcolor=EEE8AA|7
|bgcolor=EEE8AA|8
|bgcolor=EEE8AA|8
|14
|17
|12
|17
|22
|29
|27
|80
|NR
|}
Doubles
{|class=wikitable style=text-align:center;font-size:88%
!width=115|Tournament!!width=35|1982!!width=35|1983!!width=35|1984!!width=35|1985!!width=35|1986!!width=35|1987!!width=35|1988!!width=35|1989!!width=35|1990!!width=35|1991!!width=35|1992!!width=35|1993!!width=35|1994!!width=35|1995!!width=35|1996!!width=35|1997!!width=35|1998!!width=50|!!width=50|
|-
|align=left|Australian Open
|bgcolor=afeeee|2R
|A
|bgcolor=d8bfd8|F
|bgcolor=d8bfd8|F
|style=color:#767676|NH
|bgcolor=yellow|SF
|A
|bgcolor=yellow|SF
|bgcolor=lime|W
|bgcolor=afeeee|3R
|bgcolor=lime|W
|A
|bgcolor=afeeee|3R
|bgcolor=ffebcd|QF
|bgcolor=afeeee|1R
|bgcolor=yellow|SF
|bgcolor=afeeee|1R
|2 / 13
|39–11
|-
|align=left|French Open
|bgcolor=afeeee|3R
|bgcolor=afeeee|1R
|bgcolor=afeeee|3R
|bgcolor=d8bfd8|F
|bgcolor=yellow|SF
|bgcolor=yellow|SF
|bgcolor=d8bfd8|F
|bgcolor=yellow|SF
|bgcolor=lime|W
|bgcolor=yellow|SF
|A
|A
|bgcolor=afeeee|1R
|bgcolor=afeeee|1R
|bgcolor=ffebcd|QF
|bgcolor=ffebcd|QF
|bgcolor=yellow|SF
|1 / 15
|46–14
|-
|align=left|Wimbledon
|bgcolor=afeeee|2R
|bgcolor=afeeee|3R
|bgcolor=afeeee|1R
|bgcolor=yellow|SF
|bgcolor=afeeee|2R
|bgcolor=lime|W
|A
|bgcolor=lime|W
|bgcolor=lime|W
|bgcolor=ffebcd|QF
|bgcolor=yellow|SF
|bgcolor=ffebcd|QF
|bgcolor=afeeee|2R
|bgcolor=ffebcd|QF
|bgcolor=lime|W
|bgcolor=yellow|SF
|bgcolor=ffebcd|QF
|4 / 16
|53–12
|-
|align=left|US Open
|bgcolor=afeeee|3R
|A
|bgcolor=afeeee|1R
|bgcolor=lime|W
|bgcolor=ffebcd|QF
|bgcolor=ffebcd|QF
|bgcolor=afeeee|3R
|bgcolor=afeeee|3R
|bgcolor=d8bfd8|F
|bgcolor=afeeee|3R
|bgcolor=yellow|SF
|bgcolor=lime|W
|A
|bgcolor=yellow|SF
|bgcolor=yellow|SF
|bgcolor=afeeee|3R
|A
|2 / 14
|45–12
|-
!style="text-align:left;"|Win–loss
!6–4
!2–2
!6–4
!19–3
!8–3
!16–3
!7–2
!16–3
!23–1
!11–4
!14–2
!9–1
!3–3
!10–4
!13–3
!13–4
!7–3
!9 / 58
!183–49
|-
|colspan=25 align=left|Year-end championships
|-
|align=left|Tour Championships
|A
|A
|A
|bgcolor=d8bfd8|F
|bgcolor=d8bfd8|F
|bgcolor=d8bfd8|F
|bgcolor=yellow|SF
|bgcolor=yellow|SF
|bgcolor=ffebcd|QF
|bgcolor=yellow|SF
|bgcolor=lime|W
|bgcolor=yellow|SF
|A
|bgcolor=ffebcd|QF
|bgcolor=ffebcd|QF
|bgcolor=yellow|SF
|A
|1 / 12
|14–1
|-
|colspan="25" style="text-align:left;"|Career statistics
|-
|align=left|Year-end ranking
|
|
|bgcolor=EEE8AA|8
|bgcolor=99ccff|3
|bgcolor=99ccff|3
|bgcolor=EEE8AA|6
|bgcolor=EEE8AA|4
|bgcolor=D8BFD8|2
|bgcolor=00ff00|1
|bgcolor=EEE8AA|8
|bgcolor=00ff00|1
|bgcolor=D8BFD8|2
|23
|bgcolor=EEE8AA|9
|bgcolor=EEE8AA|6
|bgcolor=EEE8AA|10
|42
|colspan=2|
|}
Mixed doubles
{|class=wikitable style=text-align:center;font-size:97%
|-
! Tournament !! 1982 !! 1983 !! 1984 !! 1985 !! 1986 !! 1987 !! 1988 !! 1989 !! 1990 !! 1991 !! 1992 !! 1993 !! 1994 !! 1995 !! 1996 !! 1997 !! 1998 !! 1999–<br />2005 !!2006 !!
|-
|bgcolor=#EFEFEF align=left|Australian Open
|align="center" |NH
|align="center" |NH
|align="center" |NH
|align="center" |NH
|align="center" |NH
|A
|A
|A
|A
|bgcolor=#afeeee|1R
|A
|A
|bgcolor=#D8BFD8|F
|bgcolor=yellow|SF
|bgcolor=#ffebcd|QF
|bgcolor=#afeeee|2R
|bgcolor=#D8BFD8|F
|A
|A
|14–6
|-
|bgcolor=#EFEFEF align=left|French Open
|A
|A
|A
|bgcolor=#ffebcd|QF
|A
|bgcolor=#afeeee|1R
|A
|bgcolor=#afeeee|3R
|A
|bgcolor=lime|W
|A
|A
|bgcolor=yellow|SF
|bgcolor=#afeeee|2R
|bgcolor=#afeeee|2R
|bgcolor=yellow|SF
|bgcolor=#afeeee|3R
|A
|A
|16–8
|-
|bgcolor=#EFEFEF align=left|Wimbledon
|bgcolor=#afeeee|1R
|A
|A
|bgcolor=#ffebcd|QF
|A
|A
|A
|A
|bgcolor=#afeeee|1R
|bgcolor=#afeeee|3R
|bgcolor=#afeeee|3R
|bgcolor=#afeeee|1R
|bgcolor=lime|W
|bgcolor=#afeeee|2R
|bgcolor=lime|W
|bgcolor=lime|W
|bgcolor=#afeeee|1R
|A
|bgcolor=#afeeee|1R
|25–9
|-
|bgcolor=#EFEFEF align=left|US Open
|bgcolor=#afeeee|2R
|A
|A
|A
|A
|A
|A
|A
|A
|bgcolor=#afeeee|2R
|bgcolor=#D8BFD8|F
|bgcolor=lime|W
|A
|A
|bgcolor=#ffebcd|QF
|bgcolor=#afeeee|2R
|A
|A
|A
|14–5
|}
References
External links
- Helena Suková Official website