Wimbledon and the Czech Republic share a special bond. Four Czech women have conquered Grand Slam singles titles, each of them triumphing at the prestigious Wimbledon tournament. The latest to join this esteemed group is Barbora Krejcikova, who couldn’t contain her disbelief after lifting the trophy. “Nobody is going to believe that I won Wimbledon… I still can’t believe it,” she exclaimed. “The first match here was three hours and 15 minutes and I won 7-5 in the third set (vs. Veronika Kudermetova). I didn’t have a good season and it is unbelievable that I am standing here with this trophy.”
Krejcikova, now 28, attributes her success to the guidance of her compatriot and 1998 Wimbledon champion, Jana Navotna. “Everything that changed my tennis life was because of her,” Krejcikova revealed. “After I finished juniors, I didn’t know what to do; whether to go professional or into education. She told me that I had potential to be a champion. Before she passed away (2017) she asked me to go and win a Slam and I achieved that (French Open 2021). I never thought I would win the same trophy as Jana did.”
For Jasmine Paolini, the runner-up in the final, there was a silver lining despite the defeat. The 28-year-old Italian will climb into the top 5 of the WTA rankings after reaching the finals of both the French Open and Wimbledon. “The last two months have been crazy,” she shared. “I want to thank everybody, my team and my family. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. I received a lot of support [from the fans]. It was incredible and I enjoyed it so much. I have to keep smiling [despite the loss] because it is still a good day. As a kid, looking at Wimbledon on TV, I remember cheering for [Roger] Federer. To now be here is great and it has been a beautiful two weeks.”
