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Anastasia Zarycká – Overview
Anastasia Zarycká, also known under the earlier transliteration Anastasia Zarytska and now Anastasia Zarycká Polách, was born on 8 January 1998 in Prague. She is a former Ukrainian-Czech professional tennis player who represented Ukraine during the early part of her career before switching to the Czech Republic in 2017 after receiving Czech citizenship. A right-handed player, she reached a career-high WTA singles ranking of world No. 206 on 1 July 2019 and a career-high doubles ranking of No. 189 on 25 February 2019. She won four ITF singles titles and nine ITF doubles titles and was also an accomplished junior, reaching world No. 21 and the 2016 Australian Open girls' doubles final.
Name and Nationality
Zarycká's name appears in several forms in tennis databases. During the years in which she represented Ukraine she was often listed as Anastasia Zarytska. After acquiring Czech citizenship, the Czech form Anastasia Zarycká became standard.
She was born in Prague and has Ukrainian family roots. She represented Ukraine from the beginning of her international career until 2017 and subsequently represented the Czech Republic.
Early Life
Zarycká grew up in Prague and began playing tennis at approximately nine years of age. She became associated with TK Sparta Praha, one of the Czech Republic's leading tennis clubs.
Her development combined intensive tennis training with full-time education, something she later described as increasingly demanding during the transition from junior to professional competition.
Junior Career
Zarycká developed into a high-level international junior and reached a career-high ITF junior ranking of world No. 21 in March 2016.
Her strongest junior results came primarily in doubles, although she also competed regularly in major junior singles events.
Australian Open Junior Doubles Final – 2016
The greatest achievement of Zarycká's junior career came at the 2016 Australian Open, where she partnered Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska in the girls' doubles competition.
The pair reached the championship match before losing to Anna Kalinskaya and Tereza Mihalíková 6–1, 6–1.
Reaching a junior Grand Slam final established Zarycká among the stronger players of her international junior generation.
Transition to Professional Tennis
Zarycká began entering professional ITF tournaments while still competing as a junior. Her first WTA ranking appeared in 2015, when she finished the year at world No. 1265.
Her ranking improved quickly during the following seasons as she began playing a much heavier schedule, particularly on European clay.
First ITF Singles Title – 2016
Zarycká won her first professional singles title in July 2016 at a $10,000 ITF clay-court event.
She won the final in three sets, 6–4, 4–6, 6–3, securing the first championship of what would become a productive period on the lower professional circuit.
Second ITF Singles Title – 2016
Only a few months later she captured her second ITF singles championship, this time on indoor carpet.
The title demonstrated greater surface versatility than her later clay-heavy results might suggest.
2016 Ranking Progress
Zarycká finished 2016 ranked world No. 626 in singles after beginning the season far outside the Top 1000.
The improvement of more than six hundred ranking positions reflected the speed with which she was transitioning from junior tennis into full professional competition.
Switch to the Czech Republic – 2017
In April 2017 Zarycká received Czech citizenship and changed her international representation from Ukraine to the Czech Republic.
Given that she had been born and raised in Prague, she later described the decision as a natural step.
WTA Tour Debut – Prague 2017
Zarycká made her WTA Tour main-draw debut at the 2017 Prague Open in women's doubles.
She received a wildcard alongside Czech player Tereza Smitková. They lost in the first round to Annika Beck and Lenka Kunčíková 6–2, 7–6.
2017 Singles Progress
The 2017 season brought another substantial rise in the rankings. Zarycká reached a season-high singles ranking of world No. 297 and finished the year at No. 311.
She won forty-five of approximately sixty-nine recorded singles matches during the season, with the large majority played on clay.
2017 Doubles Progress
Zarycká's doubles results improved equally rapidly during 2017. She won two ITF doubles championships during the year and climbed to world No. 282 at her seasonal peak.
She finished the year ranked No. 290 in doubles.
Breakthrough Season – 2018
The 2018 season was the strongest in terms of volume and titles. Zarycká recorded approximately fifty-one singles victories against eighteen defeats and won two ITF singles championships.
Her ranking rose from outside the Top 300 into the low 200s.
Third ITF Singles Title – 2018
Zarycká won her third professional singles title in August 2018 at a $25,000 clay-court tournament.
She dominated the final 6–1, 6–3, making it the largest singles championship of her career to that point.
Fourth ITF Singles Title – 2018
Only a month later she captured another $25,000 clay-court title.
She won the final 6–3, 7–6, completing the most productive singles period of her career.
2018 Year-End Ranking
Zarycká finished 2018 ranked world No. 223 in singles, her best year-end position.
In doubles she ended the season at No. 209 after winning four ITF doubles championships during the year.
Doubles Success – 2018
Zarycká enjoyed an exceptionally productive doubles season in 2018, winning four $25,000-level titles.
All four came on clay and substantially accelerated her rise toward the doubles Top 200.
Career-High Doubles Ranking – 2019
Zarycká reached her career-high doubles ranking of world No. 189 on 25 February 2019.
This represented the highest ranking she achieved in either discipline at that point and gave her access to stronger international events.
Ninth ITF Doubles Title – 2019
Zarycká won her ninth and final ITF doubles championship in February 2019 at a $25,000 indoor hard-court tournament.
The victory completed a remarkably concentrated title run: all nine of her professional doubles championships were won between July 2016 and February 2019.
Career-High Singles Ranking – 2019
On 1 July 2019 Zarycká reached her career-high singles ranking of world No. 206.
She came within seven ranking positions of entering the Top 200, which would have given her more consistent access to Grand Slam qualifying and stronger WTA-level tournaments.
Australian Open Qualifying – 2019
Zarycká made her first senior Grand Slam qualifying appearance at the 2019 Australian Open.
She was eliminated in the first qualifying round. Nevertheless, reaching Melbourne marked an important milestone after several years spent exclusively on the ITF circuit.
Wimbledon Qualifying – 2019
Zarycká also competed in Wimbledon singles qualifying in 2019.
She lost in the opening qualifying round. Grass was the least-used surface of her professional career and she played very few matches on it.
US Open Qualifying – 2019
Zarycká completed a season of Grand Slam qualifying appearances by entering the US Open qualifying draw in 2019.
She again lost in the first round.
Grand Slam Career
Zarycká never reached a senior Grand Slam singles main draw.
Her professional Grand Slam record consists principally of first-round qualifying appearances at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open in 2019.
Her most significant Grand Slam achievement therefore remains the 2016 Australian Open junior doubles final.
2019 Season
Zarycká recorded approximately eighteen singles victories and nineteen defeats during 2019. The season contained her career-high ranking but also marked the beginning of a decline from the extraordinary win rate she had maintained during 2017 and 2018.
She finished 2019 ranked world No. 360 in singles and No. 419 in doubles.
Injury and Interruption – 2019
Zarycká's 2019 season included an injury-related interruption beginning late in the summer.
The break prevented her from defending ranking points accumulated during her exceptional 2018 campaign and contributed to the subsequent ranking decline.
2020 Season
The COVID-19 pandemic heavily restricted Zarycká's 2020 schedule. She nevertheless produced a strong 14–5 singles record in the matches she played.
She finished the season ranked No. 406 in singles and No. 603 in doubles.
2021 Season
Zarycká played only a limited professional schedule during 2021, recording approximately seven singles victories and seven defeats.
Her last substantial run of ITF competition came during that year, and her ranking continued to fall as she reduced her tournament schedule.
End of Full-Time Professional Career
Zarycká effectively stepped away from full-time professional tennis at approximately twenty-three years of age.
Her later reflections indicate that the decision resulted not from one dramatic injury but from accumulated physical, psychological and financial pressures associated with attempting to establish a career outside the WTA Top 100.
Burnout
Zarycká has spoken openly about experiencing burnout during her professional career.
Years of balancing elite tennis with education, constant ranking pressure, international travel and the financial realities of lower-level professional competition gradually reduced her enjoyment of the sport.
Pressure to Perform
In later interviews Zarycká described placing excessive pressure on herself to succeed, partly because of the sacrifices her family had made to support her tennis career.
That sense of obligation became increasingly difficult to separate from the simple enjoyment of competing.
Financial Reality of Professional Tennis
Zarycká's career illustrates the difficult economics faced by players ranked between approximately No. 200 and No. 500.
Although internationally successful and capable of reaching Grand Slam qualifying, players at this level must often finance travel, accommodation, coaching and physical preparation while earning comparatively modest prize money.
Later Matches
Some broader tennis databases record a small number of competitive appearances after her main professional career, including activity in 2022 and 2023.
These did not constitute a sustained return to the WTA circuit. Her professional ranking disappeared and the WTA now lists her as inactive.
German Bundesliga
Zarycká also competed in German club tennis, including appearances in the first and second Tennis-Bundesliga from 2017 onward.
German league tennis provided high-quality team competition alongside her individual ITF schedule.
Playing Style
Zarycká played right-handed with a two-handed backhand. Her professional results demonstrate a clear preference for clay, where approximately four-fifths of her recorded singles victories were achieved.
Her game was built around consistency, movement and sustained baseline pressure rather than overwhelming serving power.
Clay-Court Strength
Clay was unquestionably Zarycká's strongest surface. Approximately 140 of her 177 broadly recorded singles victories came on clay.
Three of her four ITF singles titles and seven of her nine doubles titles were won on clay.
Indoor Tennis
Zarycká was also effective indoors. She won one singles championship on carpet and produced several strong indoor hard-court results.
Her ninth and final ITF doubles title came indoors in 2019.
Hard Courts
Outdoor hard courts formed only a small part of Zarycká's professional schedule.
This contrasts with many modern professionals and reflects the overwhelmingly European clay-based structure of her ITF career.
Grass
Zarycká played almost no professional grass-court tennis.
Her principal senior grass appearance was Wimbledon qualifying in 2019, where she lost in the opening round.
Singles Record
Official ITF/WTA-based databases record approximately 159 professional singles victories against 86 defeats, while broader tennis databases that include additional events list a record around 177–95.
Either figure demonstrates a clearly positive career winning percentage despite her inability to break into the Top 200.
Doubles Record
Zarycká compiled approximately 68 victories and 46 defeats in professional doubles.
Her nine ITF titles from a relatively limited number of seasons demonstrate that doubles was a particularly efficient part of her professional career.
ITF Singles Titles
2016 – ITF $10,000, clay
2016 – ITF $10,000, indoor carpet
2018 – ITF $25,000, clay
2018 – ITF $25,000, clay
ITF Doubles Titles
Zarycká won nine ITF doubles championships:
2016 – 2 titles
2017 – 2 titles
2018 – 4 titles
2019 – 1 title
The concentration of titles between 2016 and 2019 corresponds almost exactly with the strongest ranking period of her professional career.
WTA Tour Career
Zarycká never won a WTA singles or doubles title and never became a regular WTA Tour main-draw player.
Her WTA main-draw debut came in doubles at Prague in 2017, while most of her professional achievements occurred on the ITF circuit.
Career Prize Money
Zarycká earned approximately US$105,784 in official career prize money.
The figure highlights the economic challenge of professional tennis below the Top 200: despite reaching Grand Slam qualifying, winning thirteen ITF titles across singles and doubles and maintaining a positive career record, lifetime prize earnings remained relatively modest.
Marriage and Name Change
Zarycká married Josef Polách in 2022. Polách had previously been involved with her tennis team as a fitness and sparring partner.
She subsequently began using the name Anastasia Zarycká Polách.
Life After Professional Tennis
After stepping away from full-time professional competition, Zarycká moved toward a career outside the conventional touring structure.
She has remained connected with sport and has spoken publicly about her experiences as a professional athlete, particularly the psychological and financial challenges faced by players outside the highest rankings.
Returning to Tennis on Different Terms
In 2026 Zarycká reflected publicly on rediscovering tennis without the pressure that had accompanied her professional career.
Rather than pursuing rankings and prize money, she has approached the sport again as something that can be enjoyed without the constant requirement to justify sacrifices through results.
Career Highlights
Full name: Anastasia Zarycká Polách
Earlier listing: Anastasia Zarytska / Anastasia Zarycka
Born: 8 January 1998, Prague
Represented: Ukraine (until 2017), Czech Republic (from 2017)
Plays: Right-handed, two-handed backhand
Started playing tennis: Approximately age 9
Club development: TK Sparta Praha
Career-high junior ranking: No. 21 (March 2016)
Australian Open junior doubles: Finalist (2016, with Dayana Yastremska)
Career-high WTA singles ranking: No. 206 (1 July 2019)
Career-high WTA doubles ranking: No. 189 (25 February 2019)
WTA singles titles: 0
WTA doubles titles: 0
ITF singles titles: 4
ITF doubles titles: 9
Australian Open singles: First qualifying round (2019)
Wimbledon singles: First qualifying round (2019)
US Open singles: First qualifying round (2019)
WTA main-draw debut: Prague doubles (2017)
2016 year-end singles ranking: No. 626
2017 year-end singles ranking: No. 311
2018 year-end singles ranking: No. 223
2019 year-end singles ranking: No. 360
2020 year-end singles ranking: No. 406
2021 year-end singles ranking: No. 495
Career prize money: Approximately US$105,784
Current WTA status: Inactive
Current name: Anastasia Zarycká Polách
Career Trajectory
Zarycká's career developed rapidly after a strong junior period. Reaching the Australian Open junior doubles final and world No. 21 in 2016 was immediately followed by her first two professional singles titles and a dramatic rise in the WTA rankings.
Her best developmental period came after changing representation from Ukraine to the Czech Republic in 2017. She won large numbers of matches on clay, climbed to No. 223 by the end of 2018 and collected two $25,000 singles titles and four doubles championships during that season.
In 2019 she reached career highs of No. 206 in singles and No. 189 in doubles and entered qualifying at three Grand Slam tournaments. At that point she was close to the next major professional threshold but never managed to enter the Top 200 or establish regular WTA Tour access.
Injury interruptions, the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing burnout contributed to a reduction in her schedule. By her early twenties she had begun questioning whether the financial and psychological costs of continuing professional tennis justified the possibility of incremental ranking improvement.
She ultimately stepped away from full-time competition, married in 2022 and later spoke openly about the pressures that had shaped her decision.
Assessment
Anastasia Zarycká's career is a good example of how narrow the distance can be between a highly accomplished international professional and a player visible on the regular WTA Tour. A career-high ranking of No. 206 placed her among the best few hundred players in the world, yet still left her dependent largely on ITF tournaments and Grand Slam qualifying.
Her résumé was nevertheless substantial: four ITF singles titles, nine doubles championships, a junior Grand Slam final, a Top-25 junior ranking and a strongly positive professional singles record. Her exceptional 2018 season demonstrated a level capable of sustained success at $25,000 ITF events.
Perhaps the most revealing element of her career lies beyond the statistics. Zarycká has subsequently discussed the psychological pressure, educational demands and financial uncertainty experienced by players operating outside the Top 100. Her decision to leave professional tennis at a relatively young age therefore illustrates an important reality of the sport: international success does not necessarily translate into a sustainable long-term professional career.
Her later return to tennis without ranking pressure provides an unusual closing chapter. Rather than defining the sport solely through her highest ranking of No. 206, Zarycká has been able to reconsider her relationship with tennis after competition and reconnect with the game outside the demands of professional performance.
all texts by ChatGPT