Barbora Krejcikova admitted it was particular but additionally emotional to see her being on the identical honorary Wimbledon listing as late Jana Novotna because the 28-year-old Czech believes her former coach and mentor would have been “very proud” of her if she had witnessed her profitable run at The Championships.
After sealing a 6-2 2-6 6-4 win over Jasmine Paolini for her first Wimbledon and second Grand Slam title, Krejcikova was taken by Wimbledon chairwoman Debbie Jevans to the Wimbledon wall on champions. There, the reigning Wimbledon champion was pointed to Novotna’s title on the listing, who received the title at The All England Membership in 1998.
Moments after being proven Novotna’s title and realizing that she would share a spot on a really particular listing with the one who made her consider she may play professional tennis and be a really profitable participant, Krejcikova burst into tears.
Novotna, a former world No. 2, misplaced her battle with most cancers in 2017 and handed away on the age of 49.
“Very emotional second to see me on a board proper subsequent to her. I believe she could be proud. I believe she could be actually excited that I am on the identical board as she is as a result of Wimbledon was tremendous particular for her. I believe she would inform me that she may be very proud about me and that she’s tremendous comfortable,” Krejcikova mentioned.
Wimbledon chairwoman Debbie Jevans factors Barbora Krejcikova to the title of her late mentor Jana Novotna on the Wimbledon wall of champions.
Barbora Krejcikova breaks down in tears.
Lovely 🤍 pic.twitter.com/1ZrdoeLZXk
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) July 13, 2024
Krejcikova: Novotna was telling me Wimbledon tales…
After turning into a Grand Slam champion three years in the past on the French Open, 28-year-old Krejcikova has landed her second Main and it has are available in essentially the most prestigious tennis event on this planet. Addressing her second Slam win, the Czech revealed that as a child she first dreamed of profitable the French Open – however after listening to some Wimbledon tales from Novotna – she additionally began fascinated about the prospect of profitable all of it at The Championships at some point.
Though Novotna was from the Czech Republic, she at all times loved sturdy help at Wimbledon. And at The Championships, Novotna misplaced the finals in 1993 and 1997 earlier than lastly profitable her first and lone Grand Slam title after beating Nathalie Tauziat within the last.
“Profitable any slam is nice. Profitable right here on the Wimbledon is large for me. I would not actually say it was like my dream after I was little. I’ve like a pocket book that I wrote after I was 12. I do not know, possibly like three, 4 months in the past I used to be wanting via that pocket book,” Krejcikova mentioned.
“I had there that in future … I might wish to win the French Open … Perhaps issues shifted a bit after I met Jana and when she was telling me tales about Wimbledon, grass, how troublesome it was for her to win the title and the way emotional she was when she truly made it.
“I believe since then I began to see the Wimbledon like the largest event on this planet.”
Krejcikova recounts how Novotna impacted her tennis profession
Shortly after finishing one of many largest wins of her profession, Krejcikova made certain to pay respect to late Novotna. And whereas doing so, the 28-year-old wished to inform a little bit story of how she at some point went to Novotna’s door to hunt recommendation from her. That is when late Novotna informed Krejcikova that she had the potential and that she ought to completely give a shot to professional tennis.
“Nicely, I believe coming to Jana, knocking on her door, giving her the letter, I believe the whole lot that occurred through the second, I believe it simply modified my life. It undoubtedly modified my tennis life,” Krejcikova mentioned throughout her trophy speech.
“Throughout the interval after I completed juniors, I didn’t know what I ought to do – if I ought to proceed and play professional or if I ought to go the way in which of schooling. And Jana was the one which informed me that I had the potential and that I ought to undoubtedly flip professional and simply attempt to make it.
“Earlier than she handed away, she informed me to go and win a Slam. And I achieved that already (profitable a Slam) in Paris in 2021 and it was an unbelievable second for me. And I by no means actually dreamed that I might win the identical trophy as Jana did in 1998.”
In the meantime, Krejcikova will now in all probability take a brief relaxation after which kick off her preparations for the upcoming Paris Olympics.