Doubles Champions Krejcikova and Siniakova’s Icy Exchange at Australian Open

The iconic doubles pairing, Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova, who split at the end of the 2023 WTA Tour after a successful partnership, had an icy exchange at the Australian Open. The duo, who won seven grand slam titles and the gold medal for the Czech Republic at the Tokyo Olympics, barely acknowledged each other during their match on Wednesday, causing a stir at Melbourne Park.

Katerina Siniakova, now partnered with Aussie Storm Hunter, progressed to the semi-finals after defeating Krejcikova and Laura Siegemund in a thrilling quarter-final match on Margaret Court Arena. Despite Krejcikova and Siegemund’s early lead in the third set, it was Siniakova and Hunter who emerged victorious, winning the match 4-6 7-5 6-4.

At the net, the former doubles partners exchanged a brief handshake before turning to shake hands with their opponents. Their lack of affection towards each other was noticeable, considering their successful history together. As the reigning gold medalists and with Paris 2024 looming, it remains uncertain if they will reunite for the upcoming Games in July.

Meanwhile, Storm Hunter became the first Australian since Sam Stosur in 2019 to reach the semi-finals in the women’s doubles draw at the Australian Open. Hunter expressed her happiness to continue playing and praised the tough match against Krejcikova and Siegemund. With the win, Hunter and Siniakova now face Su-Wei Hsieh and Elise Mertens in the semi-finals.

This handshake incident follows another one at the tournament involving Ukrainian , who shook hands with a Russian opponent, causing controversy.

Furthermore, Matt Ebden and Rohan Bopanna reached the men’s doubles semi-finals at the Australian Open, where they will face Tomas Machac and Zhang Zhizhen. Regardless of the outcome, Bopanna will become the oldest men’s doubles No.1 when the new rankings are released. Ebden previously won Wimbledon in 2022 and the Australian Open mixed doubles in 2013.

In the mixed doubles category, Aussie wildcards Jaimee Fourlis and Andrew Harris were eliminated in the semi-finals by Hsieh and Jan Zielinski. Hsieh and Zielinksi won the match in straight sets and advanced to the final.

Overall, the clash between Krejcikova and Siniakova has drawn attention due to their split and their successful history as a doubles team.