Barbora Krejcikova secured her second major singles title at Wimbledon, echoing the success of her mentor Jana Novotna. The coveted Venus Rosewater Dish remained in Czech possession, courtesy of Krejcikova’s victory, following Marketa Vondrousova’s unexpected win the previous year. Krejcikova triumphed over favoured Italian Jasmine Paolini with scores of 6-2 2-6 6-4.
This achievement echoes the success of Novotna, whose sole grand slam victory occurred 26 years ago and was an accolade she greatly desired. Infamously, Novotna had wept on the Duchess of Kent’s shoulder five years prior following her loss to Steffi Graf. Novotna, who passed away due to cancer in 2017 at the age of 49, had mentored a young Krejcikova, yet was unable to witness her rise to professional success.
Krejcikova and Paolini were both slow to ascend within singles rankings; Krejcikova was previously considered a doubles specialist before her unexpected triumph at the French Open in 2021, while Paolini reached her first major final at Roland Garros just a month ago.
Wimbledon was set to see its eighth unique women’s singles champion in as many years, and it was Krejcikova who seized the opportunity. She defeated previous 2022 champion Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals. The 28-year-old Czech, who was in her 13th major final and had lost just one, proved her place on the grand stage with precision placement and sterling service.
A celebrity among the spectators, actor Hugh Jackman was present in the Royal Box alongside former Wimbledon champions. The audience rallied behind Paolini as she fought to turn the tide. Despite the odds, Paolini held serve in the third game with significant effort. Unfazed, Krejcikova quickly wrapped up the set, making only two errors in 21 first serves.
During the final against Iga Świątek in Paris, Paolini had only managed to secure three victories. However, the momentum shifted when she left the court for a bathroom break. Paolini then pulled ahead with a 3-0 lead, her shots displaying greater power and accuracy, forcing Krejcikova to make errors. The Italian, known for her sunny personality and optimistic energy, gained a significant fan base over the summer. When she balanced the game, half of the audience rose to their feet.
Then, it was Krejcikova’s turn to leave the court for a pause. As both maintained their serve in the early stages of the third set, the atmosphere became fraught with tension. In the seventh game, the first signs of stress revealed themselves on Paolini. She began to falter, and a sequence of mistakes put her in a difficult spot, leading to a double fault that gave the advantage to Krejcikova.
In the final set, the Czech had only lost a single point in her first four games. Although she faced jitters while attempting to close the match, she managed to fend off two breaking points and secure the victory on her third match point. Come Monday, Krejcikova will re-enter the singles top 10 rankings, with Paolini elevating to a personal best of fifth position. Krejcikova has also set a record as the first Czech Republic woman to win slam titles on different surfaces.