Wimbledon Rivals, Team Champions: Noskova and Muchova Bring the Billie Jean King Cup to Czechia

Katerina Siniakova is one of the best doubles players in the world, and she spent the whole Billie Jean King Cup Finals watching. Czechia never needed her.

On Sunday in Shenzhen, Karolina Muchova beat Anhelina Kalinina 6-2, 6-3, and Linda Noskova beat Elina Svitolina 6-3, 7-6 (5) to finish off Ukraine 2-0. Czechia had done the same to Britain in the quarterfinals and Spain in the semis. Noskova said she was glad they never had to play a deciding doubles match, which she called the most stressful kind.

We just have the vibe in the locker room.

That was Muchova, who lost to Noskova in the Wimbledon final in July. Noskova closed it on her third match point with a big serve and a forehand Svitolina could barely touch, then dropped onto her back as captain Barbora Strycova ran out to her. She hit 10 aces.

It's Czechia's 12th title in the event once called the Fed Cup, and its first since 2018. Only the United States, with 18, has more. Strycova, who won six as a player, became the fourth woman to win it as both player and captain, joining Margaret Court, Chris Evert and Billie Jean King herself.

Ukraine was in its first final after knocking out two-time defending champion Italy, and played without Marta Kostyuk, who has a right wrist injury.