Barbora Krejcikova emulates hero Jana Novotna with Wimbledon triumph after three-set thriller

For a player so composed, gliding through shots with such picturesque ease and guile, the emotions stayed intact for Barbora Krejcikova as she claimed her first Wimbledon crown. On court, at least. The smile was difficult to wipe off her face as she received the Venus Rosewater Dish, amid the shining light of a rare day of southwest London sunshine. It was only when on-court interviewer Annabel Croft mentioned her mentor – the late, great Jana Novotna, champion of 1998 – that the sensations shifted.

The Czechs quite like it here at SW19. Twelve months on from Marketa Vondrousova’s unfancied victory against a higher-seeded opponent and a decade since Petra Kvitova’s second Wimbledon title, 31st seed Krejcikova upset the formbook again as she outlasted the spirited performance of Italian Jasmine Paolini in three momentum-shifting sets, 6-2 2-6 6-4. An eighth different women’s singles champion in eight years.

As Krejcikova held her arms aloft in delight following a final game of high drama and shifting sands, it was a total state of shock for the 28-year-old, older than her opponent by just 17 days. It was shock that did not dissipate in the speech afterwards.

“I can’t explain what I’m feeling right now... I still can’t believe it,” she said. “Two weeks ago, I won 7-5 in the third set in my first round, now I’m standing here – it’s unbelievable.”

She took the obligatory photos, still beaming on her Centre Court lap of honour. But it was when she left the stage, and saw her name alongside Novotna’s on the honours board, that the tears quickly came. Krejcikova met her native hero at the age of 18, giving her a letter at her house as she asked for advice about her future. Novotna urged her to persevere with a career at the top, a few years before her sad death from ovarian cancer in 2017.

Now, she has emulated her mentor. “I think knocking on her door, giving her the letter, during that moment, it changed my tennis life”, she said. “During the period when I finished uni, I didn’t know if I should continue and turn pro, or go to the way of education, Jana was the one who said I have the potential and definitely turn pro and try make it.

“Before she passed away, she told me, ‘Go and win a slam!’ I achieved that in Paris in 2021, it was an unbelievable moment for me. I never dream of that, to win the same trophy as Jana in 1998.”

Krejcikova, world No 2 just 28 months ago, started in a brilliant blaze of glory and looked completely nerveless amidst the biggest stage of her tennis career. She broke the seventh-seeded Italian in the first game, sealed with a crushing forehand cross-court. Yet if the Czech found her range immediately, her timing exquisite, Paolini’s usual consistency deserted her, all too often an inch or two deeper than the baseline allowed with her groundstrokes. Astonishingly, for such an intriguing final on paper, Krejcikova won 10 of the first 11 points.

Why should we be surprised? Though both were contending their second grand slam singles final, Krejcikova’s prowess in a pair makes her well-attuned to the showpiece matches at the four grandest tournaments. Alongside compatriot Katerina Siniakova, she has won each major twice in doubles aside from the US Open, which she’s won once. Add Olympic gold in Tokyo and the end-of-season finals into the mix and it’s quite a trophy cabinet assembled, irrespective of her fluctuating solo career, which now reads: two grand slam finals played, two grand slam finals won.

Krejcikova all but wrapped up the first set with a double-break as Paolini’s backhand failed to find the court and, sitting pretty at 5-1 to the good, the contest was the polar opposite to the start of her semi-final against 2022 champion Elena Rybakina, when she was behind by the same score. A hold to love, with a serving accuracy from the heavens of 90 per cent, had Paolini clutching at straws in the opening chapter.

But while Krejcikova’s start was the antithesis of her match on Thursday, Paolini’s followed a familiar feel. She started slow against hard-hitting Donna Vekic in her semi-final, before storming back through her laudable tenacity and power of will. And after sprinting back onto court following a much-needed bathroom break reset, there was suddenly audible exertion in her shots; a distinguished grunt that was absent in the lopsided start. More oomph and fight, as she strived to find any sort of momentum.

Fascinatingly, it didn’t take the Italian long to stamp her mark. A first break of the match came straight away for 2-0, as Krejcikova’s level dropped every so slightly. Paolini was taking the initiative now, creeping into the net behind her forehand, and pacing around the court with extra energy and fervour. One delightful half-volley pick-up midway through the set stood out, in a highlight reel of impressive strokes.

For a woman in the form of her life – after a second tour title in Dubai in February prior to her unexpected run to the final at Roland Garros five weeks ago – the popular Italian was now owning the Centre Court stage. One final miscued forehand into the tramlines from Krejcikova saw Paolini take the second set, mirroring the first-set scoreline and this time it was the Czech who headed off-court for a regroup.

Which way would the final set swing? The scoreboard skipped rapidly to 3-3 with six routine holds of serve – and just four points on return – before Krejcikova turned the screw. Paolini, facing her second break point of the game, made the grave error of challenging her first serve. The fault adjudication was upheld, the Italian’s rhythm was broken for a second too long and she incomprehensibly double-faulted.

Krejcikova had shown no signs of nerves but, a hold apiece later as she served for the championship at 5-4, the wheels very nearly came off. Two match points came and went through errors off her racket, with one backhand down the line too tantalising not to tee off on and Paolini herself had two break-back points, scampering around the court in one final act of resilience with the crowd mostly on her side, craving more action.

The nerves now were as clear as the blue sky up above but Krejcikova kept it together for long enough. A third championship point, a sweetly struck serve out wide and, as Paolini’s forlorn return sailed out of view, Krekcikova turned to her contingent of supporters in pure elation. It would not be Paolini’s time, a second major final in a matter of weeks ends in disappointment. But for Krejcikova it was a lifetime goal achieved and, as she described afterwards, “the best day of her life”. Once more at the All England Club on the final Saturday, it was Czech mate.