Barbora Krejcikova Wins Thrilling Wimbledon Women's Final Against Jasmine Paolini, Claims Second Grand Slam Trophy
*Barbora Krejcikova Outlasts Jasmine Paolini to Secure Wimbledon Title*
**WIMBLEDON, England — After securing her second major singles title in a roller-coaster match on Saturday, Barbora Krejcikova celebrated by raising her hands in the air and pointing at the sky.
Krejcikova needed three match points and nearly two hours to defeat Jasmine Paolini, the No. 7 seed and crowd favorite, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, claiming her first Wimbledon title. Watching from the royal box were former champions such as Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, and Maria Sharapova.
Krejcikova became the eighth woman to win the prestigious title in eight years. "I don't have any words right now," Krejcikova said to the Centre Court crowd during the trophy presentation. "It's definitely the best day of my tennis career and also the best day of my life."
The 28-year-old from Czechia had previously won the 2021 French Open and 11 major titles in doubles and mixed doubles, but she hadn't advanced past the quarterfinals in singles at a Grand Slam since her triumph in Paris over three years ago. Following a tough season that included a back injury, an illness, and an 0-4 record on clay, Krejcikova was hardly considered a favorite at the All England Club. She had never advanced past the fourth round and her ranking had fallen to No. 32, with ESPN BET giving her 100-1 odds to win the tournament before play began.
Krejcikova improved with each match throughout the tournament. She beat No. 11 seed Danielle Collins and No. 13 seed Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets in the round of 16 and quarterfinals, respectively. In the semifinals, she came back after dropping the first set to defeat 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
On Saturday, she faced Paolini, the surprise 2024 French Open runner-up who had staged a comeback in the semifinals against Donna Vekic. Krejcikova controlled the opening set, winning 10 of the first 11 points and gaining a 5-1 lead. However, Paolini stormed back after a bathroom break between sets, claiming the first three games of the second set.
In the deciding set, the pair traded games until Paolini was broken at 3-all following her lone double fault of the match. Krejcikova seized the momentum, winning all four points in the next game. Though she struggled to close out the match, Krejcikova ultimately succeeded on her third match point. Paolini later praised her opponent, saying, "You played unbelievable. You play such beautiful tennis."
In an interview with ESPN's Mary Joe Fernandez, Krejcikova called it an "amazing battle" and said she knew Paolini would raise her level in the second set. She tried to stay composed when serving for the match and repeated two words in her head in the final moments: "'Be brave.' I was trying because I knew that I have to go for it and that I have to be brave. And yeah, I'm so happy that I did."
With the win, Krejcikova became the first player in the Open era to win both of her first two Grand Slam finals in deciding sets. Her 175 games played in singles marked the most by a woman champion in the Open era.
Krejcikova was emotional during her post-match interview, as she had been after her semifinal victory, when talking about her late mentor Jana Novotna, who won the Wimbledon title in 1998. Novotna died of ovarian cancer in 2017 at the age of 49.
"When I finished juniors, I didn't know if I should continue and play pro or if I should go the way of education, and Jana was the one that told me I have the potential and I should turn pro and just try to make it," Krejcikova said. "And before she passed away, she told me to go and win a Slam. I achieved that in Paris. It was an unbelievable moment for me, and I never dreamed that I would win the same trophy that Jana did in 1998."
Krejcikova pointed to the sky after her win at the French Open in tribute to Novotna and later explained, "I know that all of this has happened because she is looking after me from up there."
Following her Wimbledon run, Krejcikova will return to the top 10 in the rankings. The defending gold medalist in doubles with Katerina Siniakova, the pair will look to stand atop the podium again when the Olympics get underway at the end of the month at Roland Garros. Krejcikova will also be playing singles and will look to build on her momentum before the season turns to the hard courts ahead of the US Open.
Paolini will improve to No. 5 in the world, a new career high, following the tournament.**
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