Before Wimbledon 2024, Barbora Krejcikova won her only Grand Slam at the French Open in 2021.

London: Barbora Krejcikova insists no one – not her friends, not her family, not even herself – will believe she won Wimbledon for her second Grand Slam title. Her first major championship as an unseeded player at the French Open three years ago was definitely a surprise. A 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 victory over Jasmin Paolini in Saturday's final at the All England Club was perhaps as unpredictable as it was definitive, but perhaps now is the time to recognize it. The results from Krejcikova are not only possible, but perfect.

“What has happened now is unreal. Definitely the best day of my tennis career — and also the best day of my life,” said the 28-year-old Krejcikova of the Czech Republic, who credited her late mentor, 1998 Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna, for pushing her into the professional arena. Tennis

While clutching her gold medal, Krejcikova described herself as “lucky” to have outlasted seventh-seeded Paolini, who was runner-up at the French Open last month. Krejcikova was only seeded 31st out of 32 at the All England Club following illness and a back injury, limiting her to a 7–9 record entering the tournament this season. Then a three-setter in the first round last week added to the doubt.

But later in the fortnight, Paolini was there at the trophy ceremony, and told Krejcikova: “You play such beautiful tennis.” Krejcikova is the eighth woman to leave Wimbledon as the champion in the last eight editions of the tournament. Last year's champion is also from the Czech Republic: unseeded Marketa Vondrosova, who lost in the first round last week.

Paolini is the first woman since Serena Williams in 2016 to reach the finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same season – and the first since Venus Williams in 2002 to miss both. took a turn in charge in the final on Saturday. Playing calmly and efficiently — seemingly effortlessly — Krejcikova claimed 10 of the first 11 points and quickly raced to a 5-1 double-break lead.

As the crowd, perhaps due to a desire to see more competitive competition, “Forza!” Pulled Paolini hard with a scream. (“Let's go!”) the way she does, or “Kalama!” (“Calm down!”), Krejcikova never wavered. She has the raw skills, to be sure — she's won seven Grand Slam women's doubles titles, including two at Wimbledon — but Krajcikova was mostly content to stay on the baseline, just delivering one smooth groundstroke after another to her designated person. Getting better at spot and longest exchanges.

Nothing but Plan A was really needed in front of a Center Court crowd that included Tom Cruise, Kate Beckinsale and Hugh Jackman. Paolini tried to shake things up a bit with the occasional serve-and-volley rush forward or drop shot, but she couldn't solve Krejcikova. Not yet, though.

After the first set was one-sided, Paolini went to the locker room. She emerged a different player, no longer burdened by the residual fatigue of the longest women's semifinal in Wimbledon history, with a 2 hour, 51 minute victory over Donna Vekic on Thursday.

Paolini had come back after dropping the first set in it, so she knew she had it in her. And she opened the second set against Krejcikova in style, using deep groundstrokes to take a 3-0 advantage. Once the match was tied at one set apiece, it was Krejcikova who tried to leave the court.

Her shots that had suddenly become so erratic midway through the match — after only four winners in the second set, she amassed 14 in the third — became crisp and clean again. “I was just telling myself to be brave,” Krejcikova said. At 3-all in the deciding set, it was Paolini who fumbled and made the only break fault of the afternoon.

Krejcikova then held to love for 5-3, but things got a little tougher when she served for the championship. She needed to save a pair of break points and needed three match points to cross the finish line, winning when Paolini missed a backhand. “No one could believe that I made it to the finals. And I think nobody will believe that I won Wimbledon,” Krejcikova said a few minutes later. “I still can't believe it. This is incredible. “