Barbora Krejcikova brings home Wimbledon with a dazzling Jasmine Paolini for her second Grand Slam trophy

Barbora Krejcikova has been her winner at Wimbledon twice, securing the history of her Grand Slam title with a 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 victory in the final against Jasmine Paolini in the final.

LONDON (AP) (AP)at at the aged of 18 nearly a decade prior to the time that Barbora Krejcikova became the champion of Wimbledon on Saturday at the age of 18, the Russian was done playing tennis in junior level. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to take up a pro-level career or go back to school to explore a different path.

So Krejcikova sent an email to her idol, who was 1998 Wimbledon winner Jana Novotna, and dropped the letter at her residence located in the Czech Republic. The letter was not just an opportunity for Novotna to inform Krejcikova that she had been gifted, but that she was destined to play tennis and she also served as a mentor until her death from cancer in the year 2017.

“Before she passed away,” Krejcikova said to her “she advised me to take on the Slam. “

Do you wish for two players? Krejcikova has been an unexpected unseeded champion of the French Open three years ago. She added another trophy to her collection with a two sets, 6-2, and 6-4, in a victory over Jasmine Paolini Final in the All England Club. After the final match of Saturday, Krejcikova went and looked at her name that was newly printed on the list of Wimbledon champions at the Centre Court hallway — and noticed that she was also in the hallway.

“The only thing that was going through my head,” Krejcikova said at the time, “was that I miss Jana quite some. It was emotionally emotion-filled. … The thing is, I’m sure she’d be very happy. “

After winning a victory in the third set, Krejcikova insists that none (not her relatives and acquaintances and even her family members, not even her self-proclaimed fans could ever believe she did any thing. It’s not likely to be the case given she was struggling with an injury to her back and a sprain during the entire season, and her record in 2024 was seven when she took to the grass-court for the championship.

Krejcikova was given the privilege of being the 31st seeded among 32 ladies at the All England Club. Then she had a three-setter in the opening match of the event in the week prior, that added to the concerns.

But, when the tournament was finished, the highest of the rankings was seventh seeded Paolini. He had been telling Krejcikova: “You play such stunning tennis. “

Krejcikova has been the eighth woman to leave Wimbledon as champions during the eight previous versions of the event. The champion of last year is from the Czech Republic: unseeded Marketa Vondrousova who was knocked out in the first round of Wimbledon the week before.

Paolini the player who came in second behind Iga Swiatek at the French Open last month was the first woman following Serena Williams in 2016 to reach the finals of Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year. It was also the first since Venus Williams in 2002 to defeat both.

“If I keep this level,” Paolini, who is 28, and is a native of Italy, “I think I might be able to make a mark in the world. “

It was as fast and fast as you could get.

The match was played in an appropriate manner the final match required 14 points for a decision, with Krejcikova fighting off break breaks throughout the two sets. The Russian ended up scoring the third point of the match after Paolini was unable to make a backhand hit.

“I was just telling myself to be brave,” said Krejcikova who holds seven Grand Slam titles in women’s doubles, including the two Grand Slam titles she won at Wimbledon and three mixed doubles.

Paolini did an excellent job beginning her career, scoring her first 10 points from the 11 she scored as well as five points in the initial six games. The crowd, possibly anticipating to see a more intense game was loudly cheering for Paolini and yelled “Forza!” (“Let’s go “) as she typically does)”Forza! “Calma!” (“Be calm! “).

“She was taking the ball earlier,” Paolini said to me “and I was moving her. “

At first, Paolini seemed to be fatigued of the longest women’s final match ever in Wimbledon history thanks to her two hours and 51 minutes victory in the final in the final against Donna Vekic on Thursday.

After a brief visit to the changing rooms before to beginning another set. The next one, however. Paolini was entrusted as the director of the longer base exchanges, and Krejcikova’s mistakes were growing.

After a 3-3 lead in the last set Paolini fell in the final set, but only double-faulting for the single time throughout the afternoon when was broken. Krejcikova kept her cool throughout 5-3 before attempting to win the title, no matter how difficult it was during the set’s final.

At the moment of the presentation of the trophy similar to what she did after her singles win in Paris at the close of 2021. Krejcikova talked about the effect she had on the sport of Novotna tennis match — and her overall life.

In Krejcikova’s news conference, she said that Novotna is often present in her dreams. They’ll talk with each other as she explained.

A reporter inquired of Krejcikova her thoughts on what she’d like to say to Novotna, as both are Wimbledon champions.

“Well, I think I would turn it around,” Krejcikova declared with cheerful smile. “I would be interested to know what she could tell me. “

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis