Barbora Krejcikova eases past Maya Joint in Fed Cup to help Czech team lead Australian ATP Tour
federation cup
Krejcikova eases past United to help Czech Republic lead Australia in Fed Cup
De Minaur tries to maintain draw with Mensik
January 6, 2026
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Barbora Krejcikova beat Maya Joint in straight sets on Tuesday in Sydney.
Author: ATP/WTA Staff
Two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova continued her strong start to the 2026 season with a comprehensive 6-4, 6-1 victory over Australia’s Maya Joint to give the Czech Republic a 1-0 lead in a crucial Fed Cup match in Sydney on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old, ranked 63rd in the WTA rankings after missing the first five months of the 2025 season, went 4-1 against Australia’s top-ranked player, who missed the opening match in Australia due to illness. Although United narrowed the gap to 4-3, Krejcikova held her ground and ended the first set 6-4.
In the second set, Krejcikova defeated Norway’s Marin Helgo in straight sets in the Czech Republic’s first match and once again took the lead, winning the first four games in a row before winning the match 6-4, 6-1 in one hour and 15 minutes.
“I’m very happy with my performance,” Krejcikova said. “I was happy with the way I played from start to finish. I also had a lot of support. The first set was a little up and down, but I’m glad I got through it. I tried to be aggressive from the beginning and I’m glad I was able to play some games. I felt a lot better on the court today.”
Czech Jakub Mensik will look to build on a strong start when he takes on Alex de Minaur in the second singles match.
With both the Czech Republic and Australia winning their opening matches, the winner will top Group D, while the loser will have to wait and see if it qualifies as one of Sydney’s best second-place teams.
