Krejcikova holds off Paolini to win Wimbledon title

Barbora Krejcikova 

Barbora Krejcikova held off a charge from Jasmine Paolini in a gripping final at Wimbledon to claim her second Grand Slam singles title.

Krejcikova, a French Open winner in 2021, held her arms aloft as she sealed a 6-2 2-6 6-4 victory on her third championship point.

She shared a warm embrace with Paolini at the net before looking up and blowing a kiss towards the sky.

With the victory, Krejcikova, 28, has emulated her late friend and coach Jana Novotna. The 1998 Wimbledon champion died from ovarian cancer in 2017 at the age of 49.

“Jana was the one who told me I had the potential and I should definitely turn pro and try to make it. Before she passed away she told me to go and win a Slam,” Krejcikova said of her fellow Czech. “I achieved that in Paris in 2021 and it was an unbelievable moment for me, and I never really dreamed that I would win the same trophy as Jana did in 1998.”

The 31st seed also followed in the footsteps of 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova to make it back-to-back triumphs for the Czech Republic in the women’s singles.