WTA: Cibulkova: “Many thought I was too small for big tennis”

Dominika Cibulkova feels satisfaction, because the 1.61 meter small Slovakian had to listen to the same set again and again in her youth: “You’re too young to play tennis professionally.”

Angelique Kerber has experienced the strengths of Dominika Cibulkova in the last Grand Slam tournament of the year. At the US Open, the 29-year-old Wimbledon winner lost the third round 6:3, 3:6, 3:6. Cibulkova fought, ran almost every ball and hit Kerber with her own weapons.

Only a few of the world rankings-25. had believed that they would make the leap into the professional. “When I was young, a lot of people told me that I was too small to play tennis professionally,” the former number four Cibulkova revealed in a WTA documentary, adding proudly, “If I want something in my life, I’ll achieve it.” The Japanese Misaki Doi is with 1,59 m still two centimeters smaller than “Domi”.

She had won the WTA final in Singapore in 2016 – by the way in the final against Kerber, who lacked strength after a dream season with two Grand Slam titles and the Olympic silver medal in Rio. “The hard work, everything I invested, paid off back then,” said Cibulkova about the triumph in Singapore. In 2014 she had lost the Australian Open final against the Chinese Li Na.

In the documentary, her father Milan revealed: “When she’s on the pitch, there’s always 100 or 110 percent.” Together with him Cibulkova had moved to Bratislava early on to train in the academy “Tenisovy Klub Slovan”. Her mother was delayed in coming.

Cibulkova, who was in off-season shooting a film about icon Li Na in China, feels two personalities in her: “Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I’m going to the court unvarnished. I don’t care what I look like either. Outside the square I love to wear makeup and make myself chic. I like fashion,” she explained.