Bejlek has now made seven Grand Slam main draw appearances since making history as a 16-year-old debutant at the 2022 US Open and advanced beyond the first round only once, defeating Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk in straight sets at the 2025 French Open.
The 19-year-old's first serve percentage of just 55% on Tuesday was illustrative of the off-day that a bitterly disappointed Beljek said "really hurt" her chances of a maiden win in Melbourne, whilst she was not able to force any significant pressure on victor Ashlyn Krueger throughout the match, with Krueger able to win the majority of her second serve points.
Bejlek struck just seven winners for the entire match as her opponent moved on to a second round clash with defending champion Madison Keys.
Commiserations on such a disappointing result today, Sára. How did you feel about the way you played today?
“It was a tough one. I didn’t feel very good on the court, which during the crucial points really hurt as we saw. That was probably the main issue out there.”
How much can you learn from a Grand Slam defeat like this? Were there any positives to take out of the result?
“I know that I can play a lot better and improve my game. There are a lot of (positives) and I’m still very happy for the experience.”
Fourth time unlucky at the Australian Open. It makes a big difference financially just to get into the main draw but how frustrating is it that you haven't been able to make it past the first round yet?
“It happens. It wasn’t the match I wanted to play. It was a tough one because I wasn’t feeling myself on the court.”
How much did it mean to you to break into the top 100 last year and was that one of your main goals for 2025?
“Yeah, that was a very positive year. That was the main goal for the year for me and my team, to start 2026 in the main draw and not have to go through the qualis. At the end of the season I felt very good and I was very happy with my performance.”
You're now the eighth WTA top-100 ranked player from the Czech Republic and there are probably plenty more to come with the likes of Nikola Bartunkova and Linda Fruhvirtova also so young and quickly rising. I'd like to hear your thoughts on what is making Czech tennis so powerful in 2026. Is it funding at a grassroots level? Is it the ability to tour all corners of Europe and the Middle East from a central location that makes it an appealing career for young aspiring athletes?
“That’s a question I’m getting a lot lately. It’s a very popular sport for girls in particular, because it’s a very elegant sport. You can wear whatever you want which is nice. I would say it’s the number one sport for girls in the Czech Republic but for the boys it’s definitely football. A lot of girls are encouraged by their parents in particular to play tennis, so it’s certainly a good time for Czech tennis right now.”