The 21st century
Czech Republic · born Prague, 1982 · right-handed · won her first WTA title on grass at 's-Hertogenbosch after losing five finals
All playersBack to the rankings
5
Finals lost before her first title, at 's-Hertogenbosch in 2005
9th
Match point on which she won that final
3
WTA singles titles, with four in doubles
No. 20
Career-high singles ranking, April 2013
4R
Best Wimbledon result, 2010, her first fourth round at a major
Klára Koukalová was born in Prague in 1982 and lived there throughout her career. As a qualifier at the 2003 Australian Open she beat Maria Sharapova and Monica Seles to reach the third round. She won her first WTA title on grass at 's-Hertogenbosch in 2005, after five lost finals, and from 2006 to early 2014 she played under the name Klára Zakopalová, before returning to Koukalová.
Her best years came around the age of 30. She reached the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2010 and at the French Open in 2012, beat Serena Williams at Marbella in 2009, and rose to a career-high No. 20 in April 2013. She won three singles titles and four doubles titles, played singles at three Olympic Games from 2004 to 2012 and had a 10-5 record in the Fed Cup for the Czech Republic. She announced her retirement in September 2016, aged 34.
| 's-Hertogenbosch 2005 | Seeded eighth and ranked 41st, beat the 18-year-old Lucie Šafářová 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in an all-Czech final, recovering from a set and a break down |
|---|---|
| 's-Hertogenbosch 2011 | Doubles title with Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová, beating Dominika Cibulková and Flavia Pennetta 1-6, 6-4, 10-7 in a match tie-break |
| Wimbledon | Fourth round in 2010, the first time she reached that stage at any major |
| 's-Hertogenbosch (Rosmalen) | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Women's singles Rosmalen Grass Court Championships | |
| 2011 | Women's doubles Rosmalen Grass Court Championships | with Barbora Strýcová |
Leading grass titles only: the grass majors, tour-level grass events since 1968 and the leading grass championships before 1968. † single source; ‡ sources disagree. Roll of champions
The person behind the player.
's-Hertogenbosch, June 2005
Aged 23 and ranked 41st, she had lost all five of her previous WTA finals. Against her 18-year-old compatriot Lucie Šafářová she lost the first set and a break, then won six of the next seven games and took the title on her ninth match point.
Source: Dawn (Reuters)Melbourne, January 2003
Coming through qualifying at the 2003 Australian Open, she beat Maria Sharapova in the first round and Monica Seles in the second before losing in the third.
Source: WikipediaMarbella, 2009
At the Andalucia Tennis Experience in 2009 she beat Serena Williams in three sets, the biggest win of her career.
Source: WikipediaSeptember 2016
Announcing her retirement at 34 after 20 years on the tour, she said that in recent months she had not been able to play with the two things that mattered most, fun and passion, and that she could no longer compete with younger players.
Source: Punto de BreakFree membership: player news, the grass court Atlas, the rankings and the grass season calendar.
Join freePage updated 4 November 2026. Spotted an error? Send a correction.
