Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic beat Jasmine Paolini to win the Wimbledon title on Saturday, resisting a spirited fightback by the Italian to win 6-2 2-6 6-4 on Centre Court.
The 31st-seeded Krejcikova showed her experience in the deciding set, serving superbly to add the Wimbledon crown to her 2021 French Open title.
Seventh seed Paolini had been bidding to become the first Italian to win a Wimbledon singles title.
Krejcikova’s win comes 26 years after her mentor Jana Novotna, who died of cancer in 2017, claimed 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 a 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.”
Krejcikova, who will return to the top 10 following her victory, came into Wimbledon after a testing season