# Lucie Šafářová
**Lucie Šafářová** (born 1987, Brno, Czech Republic) is a Czech former professional tennis player who reached a career-high singles ranking of world No. 5 and was ranked No. 1 in doubles, winning seven WTA singles titles and fifteen doubles titles including five [Grand Slam](https://www.edgepedia.org/grand-slam-tennis) doubles championships.[1](https://www.wtatennis.com/players/310553/lucie-safarova/record) • [2](https://www.tennisabstract.com/cgi-bin/wplayer.cgi?p=LucieSafarova) Her best singles result was the 2015 [French Open](https://www.edgepedia.org/french-open) final, where she lost to [Serena Williams](https://www.edgepedia.org/serena-williams) in three sets, and she retired from professional tennis at Roland Garros in May 2019.[3](https://sports.yahoo.com/tennis-williams-claims-20th-grand-slam-french-open-152915663--ten.html) • [4](https://www.wtatennis.com/news/1447911/paris-i-love-you-safarova-given-send-off-at-french-open)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1987, Brno, Czech Republic; height 1.77 m; plays left-handed with a two-handed backhand[1](https://www.wtatennis.com/players/310553/lucie-safarova/record) • [2](https://www.tennisabstract.com/cgi-bin/wplayer.cgi?p=LucieSafarova) |
| Career-high rankings | Singles No. 5 (14 September 2015); doubles No. 1 (21 August 2017)[2](https://www.tennisabstract.com/cgi-bin/wplayer.cgi?p=LucieSafarova) • [1](https://www.wtatennis.com/players/310553/lucie-safarova/record) |
| Titles | 7 WTA singles titles; 15 doubles titles; career prize money $12,656,891[1](https://www.wtatennis.com/players/310553/lucie-safarova/record) |
| Grand Slam doubles | Five titles, all with Bethanie Mattek-Sands: Australian Open 2015 and 2017, Roland Garros 2015 and 2017, US Open 2016[5](https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/article/lucie-safarova-farewell-roland-garros-2019) |
| Best singles result | 2015 French Open final, lost to Serena Williams 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-2[3](https://sports.yahoo.com/tennis-williams-claims-20th-grand-slam-french-open-152915663--ten.html) |
| Team honors | Czech Fed Cup team 2004, 2006-15, 2017-18; Czech Olympic team 2008, 2012, 2016; bronze medal at Rio 2016[1](https://www.wtatennis.com/players/310553/lucie-safarova/record) • [6](https://www.olympijskybeh.cz/beh-jako-relax-tenistka-safarova-zvladne-i-hodinu) |
| Retirement | Ended her professional career at Roland Garros on 29 May 2019, aged 32[4](https://www.wtatennis.com/news/1447911/paris-i-love-you-safarova-given-send-off-at-french-open) |
## Playing style and background
Šafářová began playing tennis at age three and trained at the TK Lokomotiva Brno club, where her left-handed serve and aggressive baseline game took shape.[1](https://www.wtatennis.com/players/310553/lucie-safarova/record) • [7](https://ifann.net/wiki/lucie-safarova) She turned professional in 2002 and was coached by Frantisek Cermak.[8](https://www.tennis.com/players-rankings/lucie-safarova) • [1](https://www.wtatennis.com/players/310553/lucie-safarova/record) Her game was built around a powerful left-handed forehand and sharp net play, and she described her own style as aggressive and fast.[7](https://ifann.net/wiki/lucie-safarova) • [9](https://www.tennisviewmag.com/tennis-view-magazine/article/lucie-safarova-good-fair-player-czech) Clay was her favorite surface.[1](https://www.wtatennis.com/players/310553/lucie-safarova/record)
## The 2015 French Open
**The career peak in singles** came at Roland Garros in 2015. Seeded 13th, Šafářová beat 2008 champion [Ana Ivanovic](https://www.edgepedia.org/ana-ivanovic) 7-5, 7-5 in the semifinal to become the first Czech woman in 34 years to reach the French Open final.[10](https://sports.yahoo.com/tennis-safarova-silences-ivanovic-reach-first-slam-final-161901956--ten.html) In the final on 6 June she faced world No. 1 Serena Williams, who was seeking her 20th Grand Slam singles title. Williams won 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-2 after a mid-match slump in which Šafářová, playing aggressively, moved 2-0 ahead in the deciding set before Williams took the last six games.[3](https://sports.yahoo.com/tennis-williams-claims-20th-grand-slam-french-open-152915663--ten.html) The runner-up finish propelled Šafářová into the top 5 of the world rankings later that year.[4](https://www.wtatennis.com/news/1447911/paris-i-love-you-safarova-given-send-off-at-french-open)
The same fortnight produced a doubles title as well: she and [Bethanie Mattek-Sands](https://www.edgepedia.org/bethanie-mattek-sands) won the 2015 Roland Garros doubles, one day after the singles final.[11](https://ebonus.ozp.cz/prispevek/lucie-safarova-pariz-legendy-rodina) Her 20-14 main-draw record in Paris was the best singles record she held at any of the four majors.[4](https://www.wtatennis.com/news/1447911/paris-i-love-you-safarova-given-send-off-at-french-open)
## Doubles career
Doubles was where Šafářová reached the top of the sport. Her fifteen doubles titles included five Grand Slam championships, all won alongside the American Bethanie Mattek-Sands: the [Australian Open](https://www.edgepedia.org/australian-open) in 2015 and 2017, Roland Garros in 2015 and 2017, and the US Open in 2016.[5](https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/article/lucie-safarova-farewell-roland-garros-2019) The pair also reached the finals of the 2016 Charleston and [WTA Finals](https://www.edgepedia.org/wta-finals) events.[1](https://www.wtatennis.com/players/310553/lucie-safarova/record) On 21 August 2017 she attained the world No. 1 doubles ranking.[1](https://www.wtatennis.com/players/310553/lucie-safarova/record)
## Fed Cup and the Olympics
Šafářová was a mainstay of Czech team tennis. She played for the Czech Fed Cup team in 2004, 2006-15, and 2017-18, and for the Czech Olympic team in 2008, 2012, and 2016.[1](https://www.wtatennis.com/players/310553/lucie-safarova/record) In the 2012 Fed Cup final in Prague she secured the Czech Republic's seventh Fed Cup title with her victory.[12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6pwtjE1Dsg) At the 2016 Rio Olympics she won a bronze medal in doubles, partnering [Barbora Strýcová](https://www.edgepedia.org/barbora-strycova).[6](https://www.olympijskybeh.cz/beh-jako-relax-tenistka-safarova-zvladne-i-hodinu)
## Retirement and life after tennis
Šafářová chose Roland Garros, the site of her greatest achievements, to end her playing career. Her final match came at 4:20 pm on 29 May 2019 on Court 4, and a retirement ceremony was held on Court Philippe Chatrier the following day. She had planned to finish alongside Mattek-Sands, but the American's knee problems forced her out four days before the tournament, and [Dominika Cibulková](https://www.edgepedia.org/dominika-cibulkova) stepped in as partner.[5](https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/article/lucie-safarova-farewell-roland-garros-2019) Earlier that spring she had played her last home event at the Prague Open, where a farewell ceremony honored her career.[13](https://www.wtatennis.com/news/1447962/fan-favorite-lucie-safarova-retires-from-professional-tennis)
**Family life** followed quickly. With her husband, the Czech ice hockey player Tomáš Plekanec, she welcomed daughter Lea in 2019 and son Oliver in 2022.[14](https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/aunt-lucie-safarova-comes-out-of-retirement-no-comeback-plans-despite-win-reims) The family is based in Brno, and she has said she does not plan a return to the professional tour.[11](https://ebonus.ozp.cz/prispevek/lucie-safarova-pariz-legendy-rodina) • [14](https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/aunt-lucie-safarova-comes-out-of-retirement-no-comeback-plans-despite-win-reims) She has remained visible around the sport, appearing at the [Billie Jean King Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/billie-jean-king-cup) in Ostrava and taking on media and hosting work.[15](https://www.idnes.cz/sport/tenis/lucie-safarova-rozhovor.A260820_152535_tenis_kazdt) • [16](https://www.expres.cz/celebrity/lucie-safarova-priznala-utek-od-deti-prace-je-pro-me-unik-doma-mame-poradny-zaprah.A260820_150716_dx-celebrity_soto)
In 2026, at age 39, she added a title that had eluded her professional career: playing in the Wimbledon legends competition, where she had reached the singles semifinals in 2014 as a player, she won the event.[1](https://www.wtatennis.com/players/310553/lucie-safarova/record) She had also returned to Paris that year for a legends exhibition at the French Open.[15](https://www.idnes.cz/sport/tenis/lucie-safarova-rozhovor.A260820_152535_tenis_kazdt) • [11](https://ebonus.ozp.cz/prispevek/lucie-safarova-pariz-legendy-rodina)
## Career record in singles majors
Across her career Šafářová compiled a 68-53 main-draw singles record at the Grand Slams, with the following best results:[1](https://www.wtatennis.com/players/310553/lucie-safarova/record)
- Australian Open: quarterfinal, 2007 (14-12 overall)
- Roland Garros: final, 2015 (20-14 overall)
- Wimbledon: semifinal, 2014 (18-13 overall)
- US Open: round of 16, 2014 and 2017 (16-14 overall)
Her seven singles titles came at Oeiras and Forest Hills (2005), [Gold Coast](https://www.edgepedia.org/gold-coast) (2006), Forest Hills (2008), Québec City (2013), Doha (2015), and Prague (2016), and she reached ten further singles finals, including Charleston in 2012.[1](https://www.wtatennis.com/players/310553/lucie-safarova/record)
## References
1. [Lucie Safarova – Career Stats and Player Profile, WTA Official](https://www.wtatennis.com/players/310553/lucie-safarova/record)
2. [Lucie Safarova – Match Results and Rankings, Tennis Abstract](https://www.tennisabstract.com/cgi-bin/wplayer.cgi?p=LucieSafarova)
3. [Tennis – Williams claims 20th grand slam with French Open win, Reuters via Yahoo Sports](https://sports.yahoo.com/tennis-williams-claims-20th-grand-slam-french-open-152915663--ten.html)
4. ['Paris, I love you': Safarova given send-off at French Open, WTA Official](https://www.wtatennis.com/news/1447911/paris-i-love-you-safarova-given-send-off-at-french-open)
5. [Safarova says goodbye, Roland-Garros official site](https://www.rolandgarros.com/en-us/article/lucie-safarova-farewell-roland-garros-2019)
6. [Běh jako relax! Tenistka Šafářová zvládne i hodinu, Olympijský běh](https://www.olympijskybeh.cz/beh-jako-relax-tenistka-safarova-zvladne-i-hodinu)
7. [Lucie Šafářová – Profile, Wiki, Stats & More, iFANN](https://ifann.net/wiki/lucie-safarova)
8. [Lucie Safarova – Player Profile, Tennis.com](https://www.tennis.com/players-rankings/lucie-safarova)
9. [Lucie Safarova, The Good, Fair Player From Czech, Tennis View Magazine](https://www.tennisviewmag.com/tennis-view-magazine/article/lucie-safarova-good-fair-player-czech)
10. [Tennis – Safarova silences Ivanovic to reach first slam final, Reuters via Yahoo Sports](https://sports.yahoo.com/tennis-safarova-silences-ivanovic-reach-first-slam-final-161901956--ten.html)
11. [Lucie Šafářová: Děti mi změnily život, eBONUS](https://ebonus.ozp.cz/prispevek/lucie-safarova-pariz-legendy-rodina)
12. [Czech Republic v Serbia – Lucie Safarova on title win, Fed Cup 2012, International Tennis Federation (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6pwtjE1Dsg)
13. [Fan favorite Lucie Safarova retires from professional tennis, WTA Official](https://www.wtatennis.com/news/1447962/fan-favorite-lucie-safarova-retires-from-professional-tennis)
14. [Aunt Lucie Safarova comes out of retirement, has no comeback plans despite win in Reims, Tennis.com](https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/aunt-lucie-safarova-comes-out-of-retirement-no-comeback-plans-despite-win-reims)
15. [Už jsem vyhrála Wimbledon. A dál? Šafářová o životě po kariéře, iDNES.cz](https://www.idnes.cz/sport/tenis/lucie-safarova-rozhovor.A260820_152535_tenis_kazdt)
16. [Lucie Šafářová o mateřství a moderování, Expres.cz](https://www.expres.cz/celebrity/lucie-safarova-priznala-utek-od-deti-prace-je-pro-me-unik-doma-mame-poradny-zaprah.A260820_150716_dx-celebrity_soto)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Racket and precision ball sports › Tennis › Tennis players and seasons › Individual tennis player biographies › German and Central European tennis player biographies*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license