The former French Open champion secured her first Wimbledon title by defeating Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in a three-set match.
Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic claimed her second Grand Slam singles title by defeating Italy’s Jasmine Paolini to win the Wimbledon women’s championship.
The 31st-seeded Krejcikova triumphed 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 on Saturday, adding the 2024 All England Club crown to her 2021 French Open victory.
Her victory comes 26 years after her mentor, Jana Novotna, who died of cancer in 2017, won the Wimbledon title.
“Before she passed away, she told me to go and win a Slam. I did that in Paris in 2021, but I never dreamed of winning the same trophy that Jana did,” said the 28-year-old Krejcikova, who secured the title in a nervy final service game on her third championship point.
“It’s unreal what just happened. 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 difficult match, a great final, a great competition, and I’m super happy to be standing here enjoying this moment.”
The result means seventh-seeded Paolini has now lost two consecutive Grand Slam finals, having been defeated by Iga Swiatek at the French Open last month.
“I’m a little bit sad, but I try to keep smiling. I have to remember today is still a good day,” said Paolini, who had never won a grass-court match in her career until last month.
Krejcikova set the tone at the start of the match by breaking the Italian in the opening game and consolidating the advantage with a hold to love.
Paolini, the first Italian woman to reach a Wimbledon singles final, saved two break points in the third game but ultimately succumbed as the composed Czech stormed into a double-break lead for 4-1. Krejcikova moved to three set points in the eighth game and needed just one as Paolini netted a backhand return.
The nervy Italian managed to claim just four points on the Czech’s serve in the 35-minute opener. Krejcikova hit 10 winners to the Italian’s five. Paolini dashed off Centre Court for a toilet break and returned re-energized.
She had also dropped the first set in her marathon semifinal triumph over Donna Vekic and on Saturday, she launched another second-set fightback.
Breaks in the second and eighth games leveled the final after a set in which Krejcikova made 14 unforced errors to seven for her opponent, taking her double-fault count to a tournament-high of 33.
The Czech managed just four winners in the set as she went spectacularly off the boil.
However, momentum dramatically shifted back in her favor in the decider when Paolini double-faulted to surrender a break and fall 3-4 behind. Krejcikova held to love for 5-3 but endured a nervy conclusion, requiring three championship points and saving two break points in the 10th game to seal the title.
