Barbora Krejcikova, the 31st seed from the Czech Republic, captured her second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon on Saturday, defeating Italy's seventh seed Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in the final.
The victory marked a significant milestone in Krejcikova's career, adding to her 2021 French Open triumph.
Krejcikova dominated the first set with aggressive play, winning 6-2. However, Paolini, known for her fighting spirit, rallied back in the second set, winning 6-2 and pushing the match to a decider. The third set was a tense battle, with Krejcikova breaking Paolini's serve at 3-3 due to a double fault. Serving for the title at 5-4, Krejcikova showed nerves of steel, saving two break points and eventually clinching the victory on her third match point.
Krejcikova's win was deeply emotional, particularly because of her connection to her late mentor, Jana Novotna, who won Wimbledon in 1998 and passed away in 2017. Reflecting on her journey, Krejcikova said, "Knocking on her door changed my life. Jana told me I had the potential and should turn professional. Before she passed away, she told me I could win a Grand Slam. Achieving this at Wimbledon, where she won, is beyond words."
Krejcikova plays a forehand against Paolini during the women's singles final on Saturday. (Photo: Getty Images)
Krejcikova's tears flowed as she saw Novotna's name on the honours board. "The only thing going through my head was that I miss Jana a lot. It was a very emotional moment to see my name next to hers," she said.
Krejcikova's path to the final was marked by resilience as she faced a series of tough opponents, starting with a gruelling first-round match against Russia's Veronika Kudermetova, which she won 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (1/7), 7-5.
She continued her campaign with victories over Katie Volynets (7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/5)), Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (6-0, 4-3 retired), and Danielle Collins (7-5, 6-3).
In the quarter-finals, Krejcikova overcame Jelena Ostapenko (6-4, 7-6 (7/4)) and then staged a comeback to defeat 2022 champion Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals (3-6, 6-3, 6-4).
Paolini, on the other hand, had an impressive run to the final, defeating Sara Sorribes Tormo (7-5, 6-3), Greet Minnen (7-6 (7/5), 6-2), Bianca Andreescu (7-6 (7/4), 6-1), and Madison Keys (6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 5-5 retired).
She then convincingly beat Emma Navarro (6-2, 6-1) in the quarter-finals and won a marathon semi-final against Donna Vekic (2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10/8)).
Despite the loss, Paolini's journey to the final was remarkable. She became the first Italian woman to reach the Wimbledon final and had a historic run, including winning the longest women's singles semi-final in Wimbledon history against Vekic.
Paolini poses with her ladies' singles runner-up trophy. (Photo: Getty Images)
Paolini, who reached her second Grand Slam final this year after the French Open, remained positive. "I try to keep smiling because I have to remember today is still a good day. I made the final of Wimbledon," she said. "It's unbelievable. I just did two finals in two Grand Slams. I have to be happy with the results, even though I'm a little bit disappointed."
Born in Brno, Krejcikova began playing tennis at age six and has had a successful career in both singles and doubles.
She has won 14 singles and 19 doubles titles on the ITF Circuit. In 2021, she completed a singles and doubles sweep at the French Open, becoming the first to do so since Mary Pierce in 2000.
Krejcikova also won a gold medal in doubles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and has multiple Grand Slam doubles titles, including two at Wimbledon.
Krejcikova's victory at Wimbledon is set to propel her back into the top 10 in singles rankings.
For Paolini, the focus remains on maintaining her high level of play and aiming for future Grand Slam titles.
(With inputs from AFP and Reuters)
