Week 35 WTA pick
Right-handed, currently No. 116 in the WTA singles rankings.
Career-High Rank
No. 112
21 SEP 2026
Current Rank
No. 113
28 SEP 2026
Age
18
B. 10 MAR 2008
RTT Pick
Wk 35
RISING STAR
Country
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
Tour
WTA singles
Plays
Right-handed
Age
18
Born
10 March 2008
Current Rank
No. 113
Career High
No. 112
Career W–L
96–47
2026 W–L
24–14
Czech tennis has a production line, and the Prague-born girl from Říčany — who shortened her surname from Samsonová in 2024 to avoid mix-ups with Liudmila Samsonova — has been on it since age four. A 2023 Wimbledon girls' doubles champion and 2024 Roland Garros girls' singles finalist, she announced herself to the tour in July 2024 at 16: given a Prague Open wildcard for her WTA main-draw debut, she upset No. 2 seed Kateřina Siniaková and ran to the semifinals — the youngest WTA semifinalist since Coco Gauff in 2019, and the first player born in 2008 or later to win a tour-level match.
"I didn't go into it as favorite. I'm so proud of myself" — after upsetting Siniaková at the Prague Open; WTA, July 2024
The summer of 2026 is when the climb turned steep. Seeded fifth and ranked No. 153, the TK Sparta Praha player came from a set down in the Târgu Mureş final on 2 August to beat top seed (and fellow RTT alumna) Kaitlin Quevedo 2–6, 6–3, 6–1 for her first WTA 125 title — her ninth pro trophy and the first above ITF level, winning nine of the last twelve games. The points carried her from No. 153 to No. 123, and Monday's release nudged her to a career-high No. 116. This week she is seeded 10th in US Open qualifying, opening against 2021 Roland Garros semifinalist Tamara Zidanšek.
"Right now I'm really excited I can hardly speak"
AFTER REACHING THE PRAGUE SEMIFINALS AT 16 · WTA, JUL 2024"It's definitely the biggest success of my career so far"
TENISOVÝ SVĚT (TRANSLATED FROM CZECH)