Krejcikova extends Novotna’s Wimbledon legacy

By making her first Wimbledon singles final, Barbora Krejcikova extends the iconic Wimbledon footprint of her late mentor Jana Novotna, whose trials, tribulations and ultimate triumph at the grass-court major made her a fan favorite in London.

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An emotional Krejcikova paid tribute to Czech great Novotna, who died in 2017, during her Centre Court interview after a come-from-behind win over Elena Rybakina in Thursday’s semifinals.

“[Novotna and I] talked about [her] matches here,” Krejcikova added, in her post-match press conference. “It’s been some while since we talked about it, so I can’t really tell you what it was about. But we definitely did. Yeah, I mean, I hope she would be proud.”

Novotna became an instant Wimbledon star when she collapsed into tears on the Duchess of Kent’s shoulder after falling just short in the 1993 final. Novotna led 4-1 in the third set before Stefanie Graf turned that match around in her favor.

But the serve-and-volley specialist kept plugging away at Wimbledon, becoming a beloved symbol of perseverance at the event. After another runner-up finish in 1997, Novotna at last claimed the title she coveted so much, thrilling fans by winning 1998 Wimbledon.

Novotna became a guiding force in Czech tennis, and when Krejcikova was making the transition from juniors to pros, she and her parents visited the four-time Grand Slam singles finalist at her home for advice.

From 2021: Roland Garros champion Krejcikova guided by Czech greats

Not only did Novotna provide words of wisdom, but she became a hands-on coach for Krejcikova during her trip up the ranks through the ITF Challenger circuit. Krejcikova was Novotna’s last protegee before her death from ovarian cancer.

“After my juniors career, it was a lot about Jana [as an inspiration] because I had an opportunity to meet her and to spend time with her and see, like, how she behaves, who she is, how such a big champion she is,” Krejcikova said on Thursday.

There is a tremendous legacy of Czech women excelling at Wimbledon, with Novotna being an integral part of that chain. Now, Krejcikova could become the second straight Czech to win the title after Marketa Vondrousova triumphed last year.

Seven Czech-born women have reached the Wimbledon ladies’ singles final, starting with nine-time champion Martina Navratilova. Navratilova made her first Wimbledon final in 1978, where she toppled her biggest rival Chris Evert to win her first Grand Slam singles title of 18 total.

Navratilova was representing the United States by that point, but she, like Novotna, was an inspiration for Czech players like Krejcikova.

“It’s such an honor whenever a message comes from [men’s Grand Slam champion Jan] Kodes or from Martina,” Krejcikova said when she won 2021 Roland Garros. “I really appreciate it, that we have such great former athletes and tennis players, and how they want to help us all so that tennis in the Czech Republic keeps on going.”

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