New Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova says her relationship with coach and Czech tennis legend Jana Novotna changed her path in professional tennis. Barbora Krejcikova won her second Grand Slam title today, after also triumphing at Roland Garros in 2021. Today, the Czech, who before the tournament was ranked 27th in the WTA rankings, prevailed over Jasmine Paolini (Italy) by 2-1 (6:2, 2:6, 6:4) and left the title in the possession of her country, since last year on the courts in London triumphed Marketa Vondrousova.
Barbora Krejcikova’s victory comes 26 years after Jana Novotna won her only Slam title, lifting the trophy she most sought after. Five years earlier, she reached the final, but was defeated by Steffi Graf.
Jana Novotna took the teenage Barbora Krejcikova under her wing, but in 2017 she died of cancer at the age of 49. And she failed to see the fruits of his labor, as well as the true blossoming of the talent of his heiress. Both are from the same city – Brno, which made it easy for the new Wimbledon champion to knock on the champion’s door for advice and help.
“When I stopped in front of her house, it really changed my life. When I was finishing my teenage years on the court, I didn’t know if I should go on to professional sports or devote myself to my education. It was Jana who told me that I had the potential to become a professional”, Barbora Krejcikova started her story. And then she goes into quite an emotional palette: “Before she left this world she told me to do everything to win a Grand Slam tournament. I did that in Paris in 2021 and it was an amazing moment for me. I never however, I believed that I would win the same trophy that she lifted in 1998”.
She struggled to hold back tears and sobbed when she saw her winning name on the scoreboard alongside Novotna’s before continuing with the joy of the title. Barbora Krejcikova will now return to the top 10 of women’s professional tennis on Monday, but she also already boasts the fact that she is the first Czech woman to hold titles on multiple surfaces at a Grand Slam.
“It’s unreal what just happened”, said the 28-year-old champion. “The best day of my tennis career and the best day of my life. I was just telling myself to be brave. It was such a tough match, great finish, great competition and I’m super happy to stand here and enjoy this moment”, concluded Barbora Krejcikova.
