ROME — Nikola Bartunkova’s tennis is daring and extravagant, the definition of a spectacle.
And on Pietrangeli, it felt right at home. By the end of her 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 third-round upset of No. 17 seed Madison Keys at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Sunday, the 20-year-old Czech had the crowd fully behind her with swashbuckling net-rushes and deft drop shots. She responded in kind, greeting nearly every big point with a raised fist.
Bartunkova saved her best tennis for the end. After a third set dominated by strong holds from both players, she took over the final game — first with another fearless drop shot, then with a forehand winner driven down the line. Moments later, she had sealed the second Top 20 win of her career.
Off court, Bartunkova cuts a far quieter figure than the one she brings to the court.
“I don’t know really how I did it,” she said of that final game. “I tried my best, my best shots. [Trying to have fun] is my character. I loved tennis since when I was a kid, so I enjoy every moment, every hit.”
Inevitably, Bartunkova’s style has drawn comparisons to another Czech exponent of flash and flair.
Karolina Muchova and Bartunkova train at the same club in Prague. On Friday, they warmed up together — the day No. 94-ranked Bartunkova got into the main draw as a lucky loser, replacing Victoria Mboko.
Talk of her talent is already making the rounds in the locker room. Madrid semifinalist Anastasia Potapova, who defeated her 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in qualifying, said she was not surprised at all to see her still in the draw.
“When I stepped out from our match that day, I spoke with my team,” Potapova said after defeating Liudmila Samsonova on Sunday. “The first thing I said, ‘Geez, this girl is so good.’ She has it all. She serves well, moves well, plays offensive, defensive. She can do it all. I said that I didn’t expect it to be this tough, to be honest. I cannot say that I’m very surprised now by her win today, because her level is higher than maybe we all think.”
Lucky loser Bartunkova denies Italian wild card Grant in Rome thriller
Ranked No. 508 this time last year, Bartunkova has surged on to the main tour over the past year. A semifinal run in Guadalajara last year launched her into the Top 150, and on her Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open in January she reached the third round as a qualifier — capturing her first Top 10 win over Belinda Bencic along the way. (The scoreline, 6-3, 0-6, 6-4, was eerily similar to her win against Keys on Sunday.)
After her third-round win, Bartunkova took the time to talk to wtatennis.com about her journey:
What’s your first memory of watching tennis, whether on TV or in real life?
In real life, I went to a lot of Billie Jean King Cups. But on TV, when Petra Kvitova won Wimbledon [when Bartunkova was five years old]. In moments when I was a kid, she was my favorite player. Still she is, but she retired. But her style and personality, I really like. I met her a few times, and I watched her matches and her practises, but I never talked with her.
Is putting on a show important for you, with all your hot shots and bold plays?
Yeah, that’s my game. I like to volley, to go to the net, to do more drop shots. That’s my game and I will play it forever.
Is it hard to balance the glory shots that look good versus the shots you need to play to win?
Right, right. But that’s my game from since when I was a kid. That’s why I play and I think it’s really good.
You were on a beautiful court playing a beautiful style — do you think that tennis is art as well as sport?
Could be. The court with the statues is probably now my favourite court of the year, so maybe tennis is a little bit art, too. [Rome] is my favorite 1000, but it’s not about my results — I said that before the tournament, it’s the most beautiful court and I really like to be here.
When did you find out that you would be a lucky loser and how much time did you have to prepare?
In the morning [on Friday] — I had a lot of time. Every time — Miami, Indian Wells and Madrid — I lost in the final of qualies and every time I was waiting for a lucky loser [spot]. So the fourth time, I finally got it. Even luckier.
Were you thinking about the Bencic match during the third set against Keys? The scorelines were nearly the same, and you still haven’t lost against a Top 20 player in your career.
Yeah, the Belinda match was a bit similar with this match. I remembered it today. It’s good to hear that I won [against these opponents], but I think every day is a different day.
In 2024, you had to serve a six-month doping suspension [Bartunkova’s family proved to the ITIA that this was due to a contaminated supplement after spending thousands of euros on legal fees and testing supplements on themselves]. What did this teach you about yourself?
About the tough time, well, it was the worst time in my life, for sure. I think I realized that tennis is not the most important thing — I went back to high school to graduate while I was away — but also I think that I really love tennis. It’s not like everybody says, but for me it’s from the heart that I really love tennis. That’s why I come back, and I think I come back really well.
If you were showing a visitor around your home town, Prague, where would you take them and what would you eat? And off court, what are your interests?
Everything is close in Prague, so something like Prague Castle and Charles Bridge — that kind of architecture. And we are good in the kitchen, but the food is heavier. It’s not for athletes. For example, svíčková — duck with dumplings, something like that.
My favorite music? More the old ones — ABBA, Michael Jackson.