How a 1986 Fed Cup final helped shape Czechia’s tennis legacy

Czechia’s title run at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen capped a bumper summer for the country’s women’s tennis. Linda Noskova won Wimbledon, while Katerina Siniakova added to her Grand Slam haul at Roland Garros and the US Open.

Earlier in the summer, the Livesport Prague Open offered another occasion to celebrate -- and reflect on -- a remarkable sporting heritage. The WTA 250 tournament marked the 40th anniversary of one of the most iconic Fed Cup finals.

In the summer of 1986, Prague hosted 32 nations competing for the Federation Cup -- now known as the Billie Jean King Cup -- at the CLTK Prague club on Stvanice, an island in the Vltava River.

Held three years before the Velvet Revolution squashed the communist regime, the event is best remembered for the emotional return to what was then Czechoslovakia of Martina Navratilova, for the first time since her defection to the United States during the US Open in 1975.

In a marketer’s dream final, Team USA -- an all-star cast comprised of Navratilova, Chris Evert, Pam Shriver and Zina Garrison -- defeated three-time defending champions Czechoslovakia in front of a sellout audience.

Evert has described the trip, and the overwhelmingly warm reception Martina received, as one of the highlights of her own career. Indeed, such was the fascination with Navratilova in the country of her birth -- for a decade, state-backed media had worked to erase all memory of her -- that the Czech team found themselves not exactly the favorites in front of their home crowd.

Four decades on, Czech players Hana Mandlikova, Helena Sukova, Regina Marsikova and Andrea Holikova were invited back to Stvanice, where they were very much the center of attention in a program that gave fans a chance to say thank you.

“Back in 1986, the Czechoslovakian federation was told that in order to host, they had to allow all players who were nominated to compete for their nation,” recalled former World No.4 Sukova, a four-time Grand Slam singles finalist and winner of 14 majors in doubles and mixed doubles.

“So, it was a special thing that Martina Navratilova could come -- had to be allowed to come.”

That said, Sukova told wtatennis.com, in a joint interview with Mandlikova that the Czech athletes were very much focused on their own goals.

“I think at the time, we really didn’t think about Martina’s return that deeply -- we were trying to win the Cup and we were enjoying ourselves,” she said.

“All week, the stands were packed and the people were rooting for us -- it was only on the final Sunday that they were supporting Martina more -- which of course was disappointing at the time. But, when I look back, it was a celebration of tennis, and it was perfect.”

Mandlikova, a four-time Grand Slam champion who rose to No. 3 in the world, recalled tensions even as the competition got underway.

“On the first day, I was asked to welcome the teams as they assembled on court -- but not to mention Martina specifically,” she said. “I said, ‘No, Martina is here for the first time in 11 years, and everyone is excited to see her. It’s a matter of respect to her, and the American team.’ “

Mandlikova took the microphone and reiterated -- in English and Czech -- that everyone was very happy that Navratilova was there.

“As Helena said, we were concentrating on our tennis, on winning each match -- there was no guarantee we would reach the final. But Martina’s head must have been like this [animates exploding] because she could play before family and friends.

“It was an exciting week for everyone.”

In the end, Evert defeated Sukova and Navratilova got the better of Mandlikova, to seize the crown for the Americans. But, despite the loss, the event is burnished in the mind of the Czech tennis community and fans, all these years later -- as demonstrated by the fond memories on display at Livesport Prague Open.

Indeed, the reunion gave the Czech legends a chance to reflect on the “secret” to their phenomenal national success, at a very personal level -- specifically, the role played by Helena’s mother, Vera Sukova, who was runner-up to Karen Hantze Susman at Wimbledon in 1962.

Rising as high as No.5 in the rankings, the trailblazer went on to coach the Czechoslovak national team for many years and under her guidance, they won the Fed Cup in 1975; her husband, Cyril Suk II, also served as president of the Czechoslovak Tennis Association and greeted Navratilova at the airport when she arrived in 1986.

Vera Sukova succumbed to brain cancer four years before the famous tie in Prague, so she missed the moment of collective healing.

“I think it all really started with my mum,” said Helena Sukova, justifiably proud. “The tradition is certainly there, and I think the biggest thanks go to the parents of our players. Parents can do the most good -- or they can hurt the most. When they are able to find the perfect level of pushing and yet not pushing, then success comes.”

Mandlikova, herself a mother to next-gen talents in Elizabeth and Mark Mandlik, concurred.

“It’s amazing, actually, to be part of this legacy,” she said. “When I was younger, I had a very special connection with Helena’s mum. I really liked her as a person, and as a coach. She was wise, and she was calm.

“When my dad, who was an athlete, wanted me to play tennis, he went to Vera and asked her, what he should do with me. He wanted her to coach me and she helped me become the player I became in the long run.

“Vera was the first one who did something big. She started it all, basically, and everything that followed, generation after generation … until Linda!”