Barbora Strycova serves with stunning pregnancy photoshoot

Barbora Strycova couldn’t attend the post-US Open Met Gala but made sure to hold serve all the same, delivering an instantly iconic photoshoot that commemorated the immenint conclusion of her pregnancy.

“Nine months and ROCKIN’,” she captioned of the photo, taken by photographer Benedikt Renc.

Strycova has been off tour since the 2021 Australian Open and announced this summer that she was expecting a baby with longtime partner and Esquire Czech editor Petr Matejcek.

A former No. 1 in doubles, the 2019 Wimbledon semifinalist has long indulged her passion for fashion with striking editorial images and her very own lifestyle-themed Instagram.

“I just wanted to have some photos with my belly and Benedikt took so many beautiful ones. What inspired the direction of the shoot was that I wanted something simple but also very unique and different.

“The photo I chose to post is one of my favorites because there’s something about it that’s very evocative of another time while remaining modern and cool. We were just playing around with different dresses and hats, and it all came together so nicely. Benedikt is really good friend of ours and we’ve done a lot of photoshoots in the past, so that helped make the experience even better!”

Ostensibly retired, Strycova does hope to play a farewell tournament after giving birth to her first child.