Barbora Krejcikova WINS Wimbledon women’s singles by beating Paolini

• Barbora Krejcikova won 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 to lift her second Grand Slam title
• The Czech star survived a remarkable comeback from Jasmine Paolini
• Paolini lost a second successive major final as Wimbledon gained a new winner 

In 2014, an 18-year-old Czech girl knocked on the door of a house in Brno, a letter clutched nervously in her hands. The girl was Barbora Krejcikova, the house was that of 1998 Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna, and the letter contained a request for tennis guidance.

A bond was formed that day and, 10 years later, an incredible and tragic story had a fairytale ending as Krejcikova etcher her name on the Wimbledon honours board alongside that of her mentor, who died of ovarian cancer in 2017 aged just 49.

‘Knocking on Jana’s door, giving her a letter, it changed my life,’ said Krejcikova after beating fellow first-time Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.

‘After I finished juniors I didn’t know if I should go pro or go the way of education. Jana was the one who told me I had the potential.

‘I never dreamed I would win the same trophy as Jana did in 1998. This is the best day of my life.’

One of the last things Novotna said to her protege before her death was: ‘Enjoy tennis and try to win a Grand Slam.’

Well now Krejcikova has two and her transition from doubles specialist to all-surface, all format threat is complete. She now has 12 Grand Slam titles, including doubles.

After crashing down a serve to win this fantastic Wimbledon final, Krejcikova kissed her hand and raised it to the heavens, just as she did after winning the French Open in 2021.

She fulfilled her hero’s dying wish with that title in Paris but this is the place and the tournament that will always be synonymous with Novotna. The former world No2 collapsed from 4-1 down to lose the 1995 final to Steffi Graf and wept on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent. Three years later that same royal personage handed presented her with the Venus Rosewater dish.

With Krejcikova’s victory here, it felt like the final act of Novotna’s trilogy had been written.

Few would have predicted this final at the start of the fortnight but Krejcikova and Paolini’s journeys are parables of perseverance.

Born within a month of each other, this pair of 28-year-olds spent most of their career very far away from a singles Grand Slam final.

Krejcikova – like Novotna – is a fine doubles player but it took her until the age of 24 to win her first singles match at a major. Paolini spent much of her career struggling to believe she could succeed at the very apex of the sport and she won her first WTA tour match on grass just three weeks ago in Eastbourne.

But 2024 has been the year of Paolini, with no one winning more than her 15 Grand Slam matches. She was ranked 44 in the world this time last year and is now No5 after becoming the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to reach the final of both the French Open and Wimbledon.

Paolini 5ft 4in frame is not traditionally suited to grass but her stature does have its advantages on this surface. Her centre of gravity means what would be a low skidding ball for most players comes a nice, attackable height for her.

But it does mean her serve is significantly underpowered and whenever she approached the net Krejcikova – ruthlessly and sensibly – sent up lob after lob.

Both these woman are fine doubles players who play with brain rather than brawn and that produced some superb rallies. Several times the crowd cheered thinking a point was over, only for the ball to be clawed back into play.

Paolini came out a little nervy and Krejcikova won 10 out of the first 11 points, seeing out the set from there. The Italian took a bathroom break and it was the most explosive return from the toilet since Michael Corleone in the Godfather. She was much more aggressive and began to bring the crowd, behind her from the start, even more on to her side.

A set apiece then, and what the match needed now was for both women to play well at the same time. That is broadly what occurred but in the end Krejcikova’s extra six inches in height were the difference as she produced an incredible serving performance in the final set.

Having hit a solitary ace in the first two sets she hit five in the decider. As she reached 30-15 serving for the match she had not lost a single point when landing a serve – the two points conceded being double faults.

From there, that final game became a battle royal. Two break points came and went for Paolini, as did two match points for Krejcikova, but that trusty serve landed the decisive blow in the end.