Hey there, fellow tennis enthusiasts It’s your girl Mia Johnson-Carter from Miami, and I’m super excited to share some awesome news with you all about the latest happenings in the world of tennis. Whether you’re a junior player looking to make it big or just a fan of the game, there’s always something new and exciting happening.
Let’s dive into the story of Barbora Krejcikova, who had a momentous win at Wimbledon this past summer. In July, the 28-year-old Czech tennis star won her first title at The Championships after overcoming Jasmine Paolini 6-2 2-6 6-4 in the final. For Krejcikova, it was her second Grand Slam main glory since she previously became a Major winner at the 2021 French Open.
However, since then, Krejcikova hasn’t had much success. After losing in the Paris Olympics quarterfinal and falling just short of battling for a medal, she got into a slump as she is just 1-3 in her last three tournaments played. Her recent defeats include a surprise US Open second-round loss to Elena-Gabriela Ruse and upset losses by Jaqueline Cristian and Hailey Baptiste in her Beijing and Wuhan opening matches.
In response to a troll wondering how she managed to win Wimbledon just three months earlier, Krejcikova bluntly shut them down: “I won 7 matches in a row. That’s how.” This straightforward answer highlights the determination and skill that led her to that historic victory.
Krejcikova’s Wimbledon win was definitely not a fluke. She kicked off her campaign at The All England Club with a notable win over former world No. 9 Veronika Kudermetova and went on to beat major names like Danielle Collins, Jelena Ostapenko, Elena Rybakina, and Paolini in the final.
For Krejcikova, it was a special but also extremely emotional moment. Shortly after her triumph, Wimbledon chairwoman Debbie Jevans took her to the Wimbledon wall of champions and showed her the name of her mentor Jana Novotna, who won The Championships in 1988. This emotional moment was especially significant because Novotna had passed away in 2017 at just 49 years old after battling cancer. Before her passing, Novotna was the one who convinced Krejcikova that she was talented enough to pursue a pro tennis career and mentored her throughout her journey.
When serving for the Wimbledon title, Krejcikova faced two break points but managed to save them before realizing her third championship point. Later, she admitted that she battled nerves during this crucial moment.
“I mean, I expect it’s going to be difficult to serve it out, but I believe that I can do it. I started the game well. Jasmine [Paolini] was returning quite well. She put every single ball in. We were fighting for the balls. The only thing I was telling myself was ‘Just try to make first serve and try to play your shot and just be brave,'” she explained.
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