Barbora Krejcikova walked away with a victory in Wimbledon after defeating Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in the final match on Saturday, securing the first Wimbledon title of her career.
Krejcikova dominated the first set of the match after winning 10 of the first 11 points before heading into the locker room with a lead, per ESPN.
However, Paolini entered the second set with a calmness and energy that helped her flip the script. The women entered the third set tied following Paolini’s dominant second-set win.
The final set of this match was by far the closest, as the two were tied 3-3 before Krejcikova took a 5-3 lead and finished the set with a 6-4 win.
Although this win gave Krejcikova her first Wimbledon title, it marked her second Grand Slam title after defeating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the 2021 French Open.
Krejcikova’s victory means that there have now been eight different victors in as many tournaments spanning back to 2016, marking an unprecedented run of parity in a women’s tournament that has been known for dominance since its inception.
Krejcikova also became the second Czech woman to win the title in as many years, following Marketa Markéta Vondroušová’s win in last year’s tournament.
Shortly after securing her first title in Wimbledon, Krejcikova admitted to her nerves and said she was telling herself to be “brave” as the final set came to a deciding point.
“It was such a difficult match, such a great final, such a great competition, and I enjoyed it so much, and I’m super happy that I’m standing here and I can enjoy this moment,” she said, according to CNN.
“I think nobody really believes it. I don’t think anyone will believe that I got to the final and that I won Wimbledon. I still can’t believe it … I am standing here, and I am a Wimbledon winner!”
Krejcikova also discussed the impact of her late mentor, Jana Novotna, who won at Wimbledon in 1998 and passed away from cancer in 2017. She said that Novotna changed her life by believing in her so early in her career.
“Jana was the one who told me I had the potential [and] should turn pro. Before she passed away, she told me to go away and win a slam. I achieved that in Paris, and it was an unbelievable moment for me, and I never dreamed that I would win the same trophy as Jana did in 1998,” she said, as reported by The Guardian.
