Doubles Only Tennis Podcast

Tereza Mihalíková Interview: ATX, Net Movement, & Rabbit Farms

• Will Boucek • Episode 164

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0:00 | 17:02

Tereza Mihalíková is the 56th-ranked doubles player on the WTA Tour. Tennis Tribe writer, Hanlon Walsh, and I spoke with her at the ATX Open where she partnered with Yanina Wickmayer during her off day.

This is a short conversation where we ask about her win vs Sloane Stephens & Peyton Stearns, 4-6 6-2 10-2. Tereza played a near-perfect tiebreaker and was super active at the net. We discussed the match up against two "singles players" and how it differs from playing doubles players.

We also discussed how she spent her days off in Austin, why she practiced twice on Friday in preparation for her semifinal match on Saturday, her goals for the year, and her favorite hobby (visiting rabbit farms).

Tereza has developed into a fantastic doubles player so I highly recommend you watch and learn from her if you get the chance. Tereza & Yanina made the semifinals in Austin before withdrawing.

See the shownotes for this episode here: https://www.thetennistribe.com/tereza-mihalikova-interview/

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Teresa Mihailikova's Tennis Journey

Speaker 1

You're about to hear another interview from the ATX Open, this time with Teresa Mihailikova. She is number 55 in the world in doubles. At the time of me recording this quick intro, I am in Indian Wells right now. We've got a big quarterfinal day today coming up, so be sure to watch that on Tennis Channel and Tennis Channel Plus if you haven't been following along with that.

Speaker 1

But for this conversation again from the ATX Open, I sat down with Teresa and our writer, hanlon Walsh, for about 15 or 20 minutes and we talked about Teresa's quarterfinal win over Sloan Stevens and Payton Stearns. They won in a third set and Teresa played really a near-perfect tiebreaker. She was super active at the net, coaching a lot and kind of not allowing herself or her partner to get into baseline rallies against these two really strong singles players. So we talked a little bit about the strategy behind that in that match specifically. We also discussed how she spent her time in Austin on her days off. We talked a little bit about practice and then her favorite hobby, which is a very interesting hobby. She's probably the only person I've ever met who does this. I didn't even know they were a thing, but she likes to visit rabbit farms, which was kind of interesting, and Teresa's really become a really strong doubles player over the last several years, so I expect you'll be seeing her names or her name deep in draws a lot over the coming years, so I encourage you to watch her if you get a chance.

Speaker 1

So, without further delay, enjoy this conversation with Teresa Mihailikova. Alright, so you're here in Austin into the semifinals tomorrow. You've had a few days off. How did you spend the days off when you have two days off like that in the middle of a tournament?

Speaker 2

Usually I practice because I have to say I'm still fit, I don't need to take yet much more of a days off. But yesterday was very cold and me and my partner also decided to take a day off because we saw that today and also tomorrow the weather is warmer, so the conditions for playing are totally different. I also asked another player. They said it was very heavy, so completely different than today. So it was a good decision, and I think not me personally, but everyone just likes to visit the physios to get the body ready and do a few more repetitions of what you think you need. If you feel good, you just hit to I don't know how to say it so you still feel good for the next day To get warm.

Speaker 2

To get warm and not to dig deep, because you are winning, so you're doing something good.

Speaker 1

Is that why you practice twice today? I noticed you practice twice today.

Speaker 2

Yes, yes.

Speaker 1

Because you were off yesterday.

Speaker 2

Not really I like to play twice, but afternoon was more of a return practice. But, as I said, some players like to hit a little bit also before the match. I'm the type of player that it takes time for me to warm up, to get the body going. So even if I'm playing a match also in previous rounds I was hitting one hour Because the doubles on the normal tournaments not Grand Slam are two sets and the match tie break. So let's say it's not that it's exhausting physically, mentally, but not like three sets when you're playing a Grand Slam. So for me the one hour is fine to warm up the body, to fill the shots, and then I feel better.

Speaker 2

Some players which I know likes to hit 15 minutes, and they are good to go.

Speaker 1

So I think, it's everybody's decision. So we were looking at your WTA profile earlier and it said that you like to visit rabbit farms. Oh yeah, I didn't know. Rabbit farms are like a thing. Can you tell us about this, and where can we visit a rabbit farm?

Speaker 2

We have also some in Slovakia.

Speaker 1

Okay, we have to go to Slovakia. I don't think the US has rabbit farms.

Speaker 2

Not really. I searched for some rabbit cafes. It's more in China, where another doubles player, yifan Xu, took me and they had some alpacas and rabbits.

Speaker 1

Do you like to eat rabbit? Oh no, okay, so this is for pets, or like.

Speaker 2

Yeah, it's not for food it's for petting.

Speaker 1

Because some people eat rabbits, I think.

Speaker 2

Oh yeah, also in our country people Okay.

Speaker 1

Yeah. They said it's good, but so you like to go and just play with them and pet them and yes, I also have my own rabbit, and in future I want to have a rabbit farm as well.

Speaker 2

So yeah, for me it's yeah, I also have tattoo of a rabbit, and now almost everybody on the tour, let's say on Zheber calls me a bunny. So people know I love rabbits and I also offer if you have a rabbit, I can trade them and give it back to you.

Speaker 1

That's so funny. So your quarterfinal match I got to watch the other day against Sloan and Peyton you played obviously two kind of primarily singles players. How do you handle that versus when you're playing more kind of double specialists? Is there anything you do differently, strategically or tactically?

Speaker 2

Definitely, definitely. It's a different tactic than against doubles players. I think you feel more calm, especially for me, when you're playing a singles player, because you know they will not take the risk. The net player will not take the risk. So sometimes, even when the opponent hits a good serve, the net player just covers.

Speaker 2

On their side, yeah, or if it's second serve, you know the singles player is not gonna poach or anything or some eye formations. But singles players are dangerous with ground strokes, serves and return, which are the most important shots. But this is a double. So volleys are very, very important and I have to say they played well and I saw that I have to get more aggressive on the net and I did. And when you see it also happened in the first round when you see that the opponent does not know where to go, it's a good sign for me that I'm doing a good job.

Speaker 1

So yeah, that was my next question. So in the tiebreaker you played an almost perfect tiebreaker. I think you were up 9-0 and then 1-10-2. It seemed like you poached on almost every single ball. I've never seen somebody be so aggressive for such a long stretch at the net. Was that just to avoid the baseline rallies or is it something you just like to do in tiebreakers, just to kind of get through the nerves and move? Anyways?

Speaker 2

Not really to avoid the rallies, because I think we played some rallies in the match and at least on my side, on the youth, it was going pretty good. But I have to say Sloan was on the backhand side, on the head side, was hitting very nice and deep. So it was very difficult for Janina and that's when I realized I have to help more on the net. But in the tiebreak, if you want or not, it's much more, let's say, stressed than in singles, because you have the net player is giving you pressure. I saw they did.

Speaker 2

I think Peyton did few unfirst errors and they were also much, much slower than in the first two sets. But, as I said, it gives you that she's watching the net player, which is not good, but for us was good. And I think one particular doubles player told me once that in tiebreaks you just have to be active because if you are not then usually you lose the tiebreak. It goes pretty quick. You have to make sure you get the first points and so far I have to say the match tiebreak for me is more on the positive outcome than the negative one.

Speaker 1

Did you watch the opponents match yesterday, or how do you approach scouting for your next match? Is it something you do a lot of, or do you not really worry about it and focus on yourself?

Speaker 2

I like to watch the opponents. Sometimes I know what they are going to do, based on either watch one match or two matches, because, let's say, when my coach was doing it, I listened to it, but goes one year inside and one out. So I like to watch it myself. And some players you already know you are meeting on every single tournament, but our first round here and second round were singles players, so I had to watch them to see what they are doing, and I think it's different with every team. Some teams I'm like oh, I don't see any patterns. I have no idea. I mean, let's see what they will do that day. Some matches I know okay, I have to return here Important points. They go here, I play this and that and yeah. So then I feel more sure.

Speaker 3

You have had a lot of really good past few years on the doubles tour I saw. The last year was you got your career high ranking and this year you ranked right around the top 50. Talk about the difference between, as a doubles player, being ranked around 40 or 50 versus top 100 or top 150 and what that benefits that come with that ranking.

Assessing New WTA Doubles Teams

Speaker 2

First of all, if you are top 50, you are a full member, which is great. But I have to say, when I decided to play doubles, it looked to me very difficult to get to the top 100. But once you start and the first WTA is, of course, because when you are young you want to play WTAs and suddenly you are there and you get the stress. Or, let's say, I remember my first Indian Wells, I was so shaky just because you are playing. Finally, the tournaments you saw in the TV. But with the matches, or the years on the tour, you are more calm and I have to say, top 50 is good. But I want to be much, much better and I aim much, much better. And I'm trying to work every day because I also watch the top players, I learn from them and I'm trying to use what the top players are, because what the top doubles players are doing to kind of get there, because I see this is what will improve my ranking. So I don't want to stay and get comfortable with this.

Speaker 3

What are some of your goals for the rest of the year?

Speaker 2

My goal is to be a boner. Right now I'm top 50, so my first goal is to get to top 30, top 20, then, for sure, as a doubles player, to find a stable partner to play every week. So, which is really important. But I have to say, when you are 50, it's still not the time where you can find a stable partner, because if you find someone same rank, you are at the edge of the not the grand slimes, but of the thousands. So you just want to make sure you get there. But if you are around 30, you get the stable partner and really you need a few more good weeks during the season and then my biggest goal is the Masters, obviously, but for that you need a stable partner. So, step by step, I think.

Speaker 3

Awesome and there's been a lot of new teams at the top of the game on the WTA this year. How do you assess the new doubles teams that have formed in 2024? What are your thoughts on some of those teams?

Speaker 2

I think I know all of them. I have to say I like the team of Storm and Katarzyna, so that's a very good doubles team, and Elise with I didn't know how to pronounce I liked.

Speaker 2

Last year we played them. I played them many times as Vonereva and Zygnon, but their eyes retired. She just played few tournaments. So but and I actually watched because they played, zygnon and the Kretchikova played their opponents in Juwon Wang from the first round, so this is the match I actually watched to see what they used against them. So I like the team, it's a nice state, but I just want to play them.

Speaker 1

You want to beat them.

Speaker 2

Of course.

Speaker 1

Awesome. Well, thank you, terizia, for joining us.

Speaker 2

Thank you.