Barbora Krejcikova Beats Jasmine Paolini for First Wimbledon Crown

Grand Slam tennis is predicated on the power of human touch.

A courageous Barbora Krejcikova slashed one final serve to seal a wondrous Wimbledon win—and create championship connection with her tennis inspiration.

Krejcikova converted her third championship point defeating Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 to capture her maiden Wimbledon singles championship.

It’s the second Grand Slam singles championship in the last three years for the 2021 Roland Garros singles and doubles champion Krejcikova and it left her feeling “unbelievable.”

“It’s just unreal what just happened, definitely the best day of my tennis career and the best day of my life,” said Krejcikova, the 51st different woman to win Wimbledon. “It’s super difficult to explain what I’m feeling right now. I would like to congratulate Jasmine and her team.

“She did a great two weeks. It was a great final. We were fighting for every single ball. In the end I was the lucky one. She played Roland Garros a couple of weeks ago it’s amazing what she’s been able to achieve in such a short time.”

World No. 32 Krejcikova is the eighth different woman to raise the Rosewater Dish in the last eight years—and the second straight Czech woman to win it following in the footsteps of unseeded friend Marketa Vondrousova last year.

Realizing her greatest dream with eyes wide open—and the spirit of her tennis mentor the late, great Jana Novotna burning brightly in her heart—Krejcikova thrust her arms high, soaked in the moment then blew a kiss toward the sky in honor of 1998 Wimbledon champion Novotna.

In a powerfully poignant moment, Krejcikova wept seeing her name unveiled on the famed Wimbledon Ladies’ Championship board right near Hall of Famer Novotna, who treated the young Krejcikova with kindness and support when she showed up at the champion’s door during her junior days asking for guidance.

“The only thing that was going through my head was that I miss Jana a lot,” Krejcikova said of her tears. “It was just very, very emotional. Very emotional moment to see me on a board right next to here.

“I think she would be proud. I think she would be really excited that I’m on a same board as she is because Wimbledon was super special for her.”

Their relationship was crucial to developing Krejcikova’s game and confidence. She wrote a letter to Novotna back in 2014 asking for her guidance then knocked on the Hall of Famer’s door and delivered that letter.

“I think going to Jana and knocking on her door and giving her the letter everything that happened in that moment changed my life—definitely changed my tennis life,” Krejcikova told Annabel Croft in her on-court interview. “Jana was the one that told me that I had the potential and that I should definitely turn pro and try to make it.

“And before she passed away she told me to try to go win a Slam. I achieved that already in Paris in 2021. It was an unbelievable moment for me. I never really dreamed I would win the same trophy as Jana in 1998.”

This has been a remarkable run for both finalists.

The seventh-seeded Paolini made history as the first Italian woman in the Open era to reach the Wimbledon final—and the first Italian in the Open Era to reach two different Grand Slam finals.

The 5’4” Paolini is a charismatic competitor, whose feisty fighting spirit and infectious smile charmed Wimbledon and made her a fan favorite of Centre Court fans. Twice two points from defeat, against Madison Keys in the fourth round and again against Donna Vekic in a two hour, 51-minute semifinal thriller that was the longest Wimbledon women’s semifinal in the Open Era, a persistent Paolini never gave in and never gave up.

Despite enduring her second straight major final loss, the perpetually-positive Paolini, who had never won a main-draw grass-court match in her career before 2024, but came within a few games of taking the title today.

“Hello everybody, thank you for coming, to see this stadium full it’s a dream come true,” Paolini said. “I would like to congrats Barbora, you played unbelievable. You play such beautiful tennis. Congrats to you and your team of course.

“The last two months have been crazy for me. I want to thank my team, my family, everybody who is there. Without them I wouldn’t be here, so thank you very much. The crowd has been amazing these two weeks. I received a lot of support just incredible to feel the love from them—I enjoyed it so much.”

True to form, Paolini smiled through the sadness, while her proud mom, Jacqueline Paolini, smiled right back cheering her daughter right through the end.

“Today I’m a little bit sad. I tried to keep smiling because I have to remember today is still a good day,” Paolini said. “I still did finals at Wimbledon. When I was a kid, growing looking at Wimbledon cheering for Federer. I think I enjoyed every moment here.”