Barbora Krejcikova has secured her second Grand Slam singles title by defeating Jasmine Paolini in a thrilling final at Wimbledon. With a 6-2 2-6 6-4 victory, Krejcikova reflected upon her late friend and coach Jana Novotna, who achieved the same victory in 1998, but tragically died of ovarian cancer in 2017. Krejcikova shared a warm embrace with Paolini before blowing a kiss to Novotna who inspired Krejcikova with words of encouragement before her passing.
Krejcikova’s recent triumph follows in the footsteps of Marketa Vondrousova, who won the 2023 Championship, making it back-to-back wins for the Czech Republic in women’s singles. The 31st seed struggled early in the tournament following back injury and illness, hampering her ability to play throughout the season. Before Wimbledon, Krejcikova had played only nine singles matches, and won just three, since January 2021.
Overall, the match lasted for nearly two hours, with both Krejcikova and Paolini being unexpected finalists. Between the two of them, it was guaranteed that there would be a new women’s champion at Wimbledon for the seventh time in a row, and it was Krejcikova’s name that was etched on the Venus Rosewater Dish. She now has a 12-1 overall win-loss record in Grand Slam finals.
Paolini’s career has taken an impressive upward trajectory over the last 12 months, winning a prestigious WTA Tour title in Dubai in February, and appearing in the French Open final, the first time she had advanced beyond the fourth round of a major. Backed by the crowd and showing a never-say-die attitude, Paolini could not quite secure victory, leading Krejcikova to win on her third championship point when Paolini lofted a backhand long.
Krejcikova was elated and teary-eyed, and could hardly put into words her “unbelievable” victory. The seven-time major winner in women’s doubles, and a three-time champion in mixed doubles, Krecjikova will receive £2.7m in prize money for winning this year’s women’s singles at Wimbledon. As for the 28-year-old Paolini, she is trying to remain positive despite her loss, stating, “Today I am a little bit sad. I try to keep smiling because I have to remember today is still a good day. I made the final of Wimbledon.
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