The race for an Olympic place: Spotlight on Team Czechia

With the ranking cut-off date for the Olympic Tennis Event looming on 10 June, the fight to secure a spot in the Czech team is heating up.

Here's a run down of the Czech players who could confirm their spot at Paris 2024 over the coming few weeks:

Women

        Marketa Vondrousova

• Marketa Vondrousova is looking to go one better at Paris 2024, having won the singles silver medal on her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020
• She made history in Tokyo, becoming the first Czech woman to reach the Olympic singles final
• The reigning Wimbledon champion enjoyed a career highlight on the clay of Roland Garros, having finished runner-up there in 2019
  
  Karolina Muchova
  
  
• Karolina Muchova has been sidelined since reaching the semi-finals at the 2023 US Open as a result of a wrist injury that required surgery, so her participation at Paris 2024 remains in doubt
• Muchova's current ranking puts her in a strong position to qualify, but she could plummet after Roland Garros having finished runner-up at the Paris Grand Slam last year
• Muchova, 27, has never played at an Olympics before

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  Barbora Krejcikova
  
  
• Krejcikova won doubles gold alongside Katerina Siniakova on her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020
• She will hope to improve her fortunes in Olympic singles at Paris 2024, having lost to eventual gold medallist Belinda Bencic in the 3rd round in Tokyo
• Krejcikova could cement her spot at the Olympics with a good run at Roland Garros this year, having lost in the opening round last year
• The 27-year-old has an excellent record in Paris, winning her lone Grand Slam singles crown there in 2021 and doubles in both 2018 and 2021
  
  Linda Noskova
  
  
• Noskova is looking to qualify for the Olympic Tennis Event for the first time
• The 19-year-old Czech faces stiff competition from her countrywomen - she's one of seven Czechs ranked in the WTA top 60 who could yet clinch that fourth spot
• Noskova enjoyed her big breakthrough at Roland Garros, becoming the youngest qualifier there in 13 years as a 17-year-old in 2022
• There could be points on the table for her in Paris this year, given she fell in round two in 2023
  
  Katerina Siniakova
  
  
• Siniakova is looking to earn a singles spot at the Olympic Tennis Event for the first time
• She made her Olympic debut in doubles at Tokyo 2020, winning gold alongside Krejcikova for Czechia's first Olympic gold medal in tennis
• The 28-year-old could make up points at Roland Garros this year, having lost in the first round last year
• She has fond memories in Paris, having won two of her seven Grand Slam doubles titles there
  
  Marie Bouzkova
  
  
• Bouzkova is chasing a spot at the Olympic Tennis Event for the first time
• The 25-year-old has only once been beyond the first round at Roland Garros (in 2022)
• Bouzkova's career-highlights have come on grass and hard courts, but the 2022 Wimbledon quarter-finalist did reach a WTA final on clay last month in Bogota
  
  Karolina Pliskova
  
  
• Pliskova has work to do to bolster her ranking if she is to qualify for her second Olympic Games
• She reached the 3rd round in singles and 2nd round in doubles on her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020
• The 2017 Roland Garros semi-finalist could make up points in Paris to help her Olympic push, having lost in the first round there last year

Men

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• Lehecka is the front-runner to lead the Czech team - and make his Olympic debut - at Paris 2024
• The 22-year-old Czech has contested just one clay tournament this year, reaching the semi-finals in Madrid where he was forced to retire with a back issue
• Lehecka is a former Australian Open quarter-finalist but has never been beyond the 2nd round on the clay of Roland Garros

• Machac is looking to take part in his second Olympics at Paris 2024
• The 23-year-old made his Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, falling to Diego Schwartzman in the 2nd round
• Machac has only once contested the main draw at Roland Garros, falling on his debut there in 2020

• Mensik could take part in his maiden Olympics at Paris 2024
• The 18-year-old is on the cusp of earning a direct entry to the Games, but could solidify those qualification hopes at Roland Garros.
• He has contested a Grand Slam main draw on just two occasions (2023 US Open) and (2024 Australian Open), and is set to make his Roland Garros debut this year