Holding her court
Marketa Plachá
Kindergarten is a big year for many. It’s when we officially start our schooling, learn to read, count to 100, meet new friends and so much more. Marketa Plachá did all those things as a kindergartner in her town of Havlíčkův Brod, Czech Republic, but she also added one more thing to that resume of hers that year – tennis.
“My dad bought me my first racket and shoes,” said Marketa. “Then, he took me to the local club to play. I hit my forehead and didn’t like it. I was afraid to tell my parents that, but I would still go twice a week.”
The daughter of athletes, Marketa’s mom was a track star and her dad was a professional hockey player in Europe. Sports were simply part of the family lifestyle.
“My parents believe strongly that sports shape character,” said Marketa. “They felt sports were something that was important for me and my sister to be involved in.”
For Marketa, that early hit to the forehead became a thing of her past as tennis became part of her life. The racquet never left her hand, which helped pave the way for a life and career of opportunity and experiences she never would have gotten otherwise.
“I started to get really good at 11,” recalled Marketa. “From then on, I found myself among some of the top players in the Czech Republic. We would practice in different cities and travel to different tournaments abroad.”
Getting that good at a young age meant a lot of things for Marketa – such as getting physically tough, and even more importantly, mentally tough. Being a tennis player from the Czech Republic? A country notoriously good at the sport with stars like Karolína Plíšková and Tomáš Berdych? It’s easier said than done.
“Czech tennis culture is hard. It’s very intense,” said Marketa. “It costs you a lot of time and money and is seen as more of an individual sport. In order to improve, I needed to believe in myself. It’s so important with anything in life. For the game of tennis, it’s a battle and you have to believe to get through it, the long matches, workouts by yourself, playing with so many people, traveling to tournaments and more.”
At 16, Marketa was at a tournament where she met a fellow athlete who told her she went to the United States to play college tennis – something neither Marketa nor her parents had never heard of before.
“I started to learn more about it and it became very appealing and a goal of mine – to play collegiate tennis in the United States,” said Marketa. “In Europe, we don’t have that. You either go pro or you stop playing and continue on with school. So, I started to study for the GMAT and continue on with my training and tournaments.”
After high school, she packed her bags and off she went to Virginia Commonwealth University, where she played her rookie season. She completed the rest of her collegiate career at the University of Charleston Southern, where she racked up numerous accolades along the way. At Charleston, she held the No. 1 singles spot and helped her team to the Big South Conference Championship titles in 2012 and 2014, and heralded duties as a captain for the Buccaneers for the 2014-15 season. She was named Player of the Year in 2014 and 2015 and the 2015 Female Athlete of the Year by the Big South Conference to cap her collegiate career.
Following her graduation, Marketa moved to Chicago where she pursued an MBA for three years at DePaul University and worked as an assistant coach on the DePaul women’s tennis team. During her tenure as assistant coach, the Blue Demons won the BIG EAST Conference Championship in 2017 and 2019.
“Being a student-athlete in the United States was one of the best decisions I could have ever made,” said Marketa. “It was a combination of high-level tennis and studying at a university. It was an amazing experience. Playing tennis in college made me really love the sport. I wanted to win for myself and my team.”
Winning for her team meant winning for her friends that were from all different parts of the world.
“I now have friends for life that live in Canada, Germany, India, Australia, Egypt, the United States and more,” said Marketa. “It’s really special. All my teammates and others I have met along the way have really just helped me become more open-minded, have taught me so much about different cultures and to be humble. I never would have gotten those experiences or have met these friends of mine if it weren’t for tennis.”
It’s those lessons from her peers and the wins and losses on the court that remain strong in her work ethic and personal beliefs today. Marketa has since hung up her racquet of competitive play in the U.S., but is now back home in the Czech Republic holding court by playing on a club team there and working as a consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Prague.
“I’ve learned through my experiences that if you work really hard, you can get to wherever you want to be,” said Marketa. “Nothing works without your own effort and discipline. You can win one day, lose or just have a hard day in general the next, but it’s what you do with it that’s so important.”
And so, Marketa’s advice for anyone looking to pick up the racquet for the first time or dusting it off again after a hiatus?
“It’s a long journey,” laughed Marketa. “It may take you a few years to hit the ball and have a good game, but once you have it, you will have it the rest of your life. Be patient and see the fun of it. It can open so many doors for you, whether it’s school, people, travels or becoming a strong, happy and humble person. It’s worth it.”
