LONDON (AP) — Linda Noskova is the latest in a long line of Czech women to win Wimbledon.
The 21-year-old Noskova recovered from a second-set meltdown in which she wasted five match points to overcome Karolina Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 in an all-Czech final on Saturday for her first Grand Slam trophy.
When Noskova finally won it with a service winner on her sixth match point, she covered her face and dropped down to the grass on her back.
“It’s never easy to get the last point," Noskova said. "Karo, you really made me work for it.”
Noskova became the third Czech woman in four years to win the grass-court major, after Marketa Vondrousova in 2023 and Barbora Krejcikova in 2024.
Muchova and Noskova played doubles together at the 2024 Paris Olympics and finished fourth.
“I am so glad that I could play my first Grand Slam final with you,” Noskova told Muchova during her victory speech. “We made history today. I believe that all our Czech fans at home are proud of us, so no matter the result today I think it was a good day for both of us.”
Petra Kvitova, who won Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014, was in attendance, as was the greatest Czech-born player of them all, Martina Navratilova — who won a record nine singles titles at the All England Club.
Navratilova looked on from the Royal Box, where she was seated next to Kate, the Princess of Wales, who presented the Venus Rosewater Dish trophy to Noskova.
Noskova grew emotional during her victory speech when she mentioned her mother, who died two years ago.
“I definitely would not be standing here without her, so thank you,” said Noskova, who then looked up and blew a kiss to the sky.
Navratilova wiped away tears listening to Noskova's tribute to her mother.
Moments earlier, Muchova began her runner-up speech by calling Noskova “my ex-friend.
“I’m kidding, obviously,” Muchova quickly added. “You’re so young and this was your first final of a Grand Slam and the way you handled it ... was really unbelievable. ... You deserve it.”
It was the 29-year-old Muchova's second Grand Slam final after getting beat by Iga Swiatek at the French Open in 2023.
In the men’s final on Sunday, top-ranked Jannik Sinner will attempt to defend his title against French Open champion Alexander Zverev.
Wasted chances
Noskova led 5-2 in the second set before she lost five straight games to send it to a third.
When Noskova wasted a chance to serve it out at 5-3 in the second, she placed fingers in both ears to drown out the crowd noise on the changeover. Then she draped one of Wimbledon’s strawberry-red towels over her head after she dropped her serve again to give Muchova a 6-5 lead and a chance for her opponent to serve it out — which Muchova did.
It’s Noskova’s second grass title of the season after beating Jessica Pegula in the Berlin Open final three weeks ago.
But as this match displayed, it hasn’t been all straightforward. Noskova saved a match point in the third set of her third-round match against Sorana Cirstea.
The 12th-ranked Noskova will climb to No. 7 — a new career-high — when the next rankings are released on Monday.
Jana Novotna, one of Noskova’s first coaches, also won Wimbledon (in 1998).
Now Noskova is the youngest woman to win Wimbledon since Kvitova was also 21 in 2011.
And it marks the second consecutive Grand Slam won by a player 21 or younger after Mirra Andreeva claimed the French Open at 19 last month. It’s the first time that’s happened for Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year since Justine Henin and Serena Williams, respectively, claimed those titles in 2003.
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
