Barbora Krejcikova held off a fightback from Jasmine Paolini in a thrilling final at Wimbledon to claim her second Grand Slam singles title.
Krejcikova sealed a 6-2 2-6 6-4 victory over her Italian opponent to succeed her compatriot Marketa Vondrousova as the women’s singles champion.
“I don’t have any words right now – it’s just unbelievable; it’s definitely the best day of my tennis career and also the best day of my life,” she added.
In line with Wimbledon customs, Krejcikova enthusiastically climbed up to the players’ box to celebrate with her team and family, many of whom were emotional. As the significance of her accomplishment settled in, Krejcikova was overcome with tears as she left Centre Court.
This is Paolini’s second straight Grand Slam final loss, having lost to Iga Swiatek in straight sets in last month’s French Open final.
With both players emerging as surprising finalists, the stage was set for a new women’s champion to claim the Wimbledon title for the seventh consecutive year.
However, after an intense battle lasting almost two hours, the Czech star secured her place in history by having her name inscribed on the prestigious Venus Rosewater Dish.