06.06.2015 11:25:49 | After the exhibition, another great legend of the white sport appeared in front of the crowd. Prostějov said goodbye to Jan Hájek, triple champion of the Czech Open who has ended his career this year. Jiří Kunert, managing director of UniCredit Bank, Miroslav Černošek, and tournament director Petra Černošková thanked him on the Centre Court.
“Jan, it has always been a dream form me as the tournament director to have Czech players in the finals. You’ve made it come true four times. You’ve won the tournament three times and you were a runner up once. Thank you very much,“ said Petra Černošková. Jan Hájek, a member of the victorious Davis Cup team in 2013 and a representative of TK AGROFERT Prostějov ended his tennis career at the age of thirty one. On November 6th, 2006 he reached his highest ranking: 71st in the ATP. He has won ten challengers in singles in his tennis career. In 2006, 2009, and 2010 he won the UniCredit Czech Open in Prostějov and he was a runner up in 2012. His best individual success was the semi-finals in Bastad and the title in doubles with Tomáš Berdych in Doha. He was No. 446 in early March his year. “You have to be honest with yourself and realistic. I just couldn’t do it anymore,“ said Jan Hájek.
He came back to elite tennis multiple times. Not only did he battle on tennis courts, his health problems cost him a lot of energy too. The champion probably experienced his happiest moments as a member of the victorious Davis Cup team. What did Miroslav Černošek say about his career? “Jan Hájek has always been an honest and hardworking player. He has won us a number of youth and other titles. The most appreciated moment of his career was when he celebrated the victory in Davis Cup in 2013. There is no need to give an account of all Jan’s tennis achievements and his best ranking now. However, as a Prostějov patriot, I have to point out that he has won our challenger three times and made an everlasting mark in the history of Prostějov tennis. Like the old saying goes: if you work hard, hope will always keep the door open for you. That’s why I think Jan will also be successful in the second half of his life. I wish him all the best.“
