 "Wimbledon 2024: 'I miss Jana Novotona a lot', says women's singles champion Barbora Krejcikova")
Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova admitted she misses her late mentor and former champion Jana Novotna so much that she talks to her in her dreams.
Krejcikova broke down when she saw her name etched on the same Centre Court honours board which also recognises the 1998 champion Novotna.
“The only thing that was going through my head was that I miss Jana a lot. It was just very, very emotional,” said Krejcikova after beating Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in Saturday’s final.
“Very emotional moment to see me on a board right next to her. I think she would be proud. I think she would be really excited that I’m on the same board as she is because Wimbledon was super special for her.”
🥹🏆 Barbora Krejcikova in tears as she sees her name on the champions’ list, alongside Jana Novotna - her idol - who died just a few years ago, aged 49.
— Olly Tennis 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) July 13, 2024
What an effort from Barbora, 175 games played - the most ever for a woman at Wimbledon 👏 pic.twitter.com/VeRlLNwoTg
Novotna coached Krejcikova from 2014 until 2017, when she died of ovarian cancer at the age of 49.
Fellow Czech Novotna was Wimbledon champion in 1998 but only after losing finals in 1993 and 1997.
She famously wept on the shoulder of Britain’s Duchess of Kent after the 1993 championship match, which she lost to Steffi Graf.
In the final, Novotna had led 4-1 in the third set and was a point away from going 5-1 up only to serve a double fault.
She lost the next five games and was defeated 7-6 (8/6), 1-6, 6-4.
Krejcikova had sought advice from Novotna before they started working together, writing a letter to her compatriot.
A teenage Krejcikova had been torn between turning pro after her junior career or going into full-time education.
“I said ‘I don’t know what to do right now’ so could she look at me and maybe help me, guide me, tell me which direction should I go,” remembered Krejcikova.
Novotna replied within a week and the duo started to work together.
“I’m dreaming about her a lot and we are talking in those dreams,” said Krejcikova, who now has two Grand Slam singles titles to add to her seven women’s and three mixed triumphs at the majors.
She added: “I have a little notebook that I wrote when I was 12. Three or four months ago I was looking through that notebook.
“I wrote that in the future I would like to win the French Open. Things shifted a little bit when I met Jana and when she was telling me about Wimbledon, about the grass, how difficult it was for her to win the title and how emotional she was when she made it.
“Since then I started to see the Wimbledon like the biggest tournament in the world.”
(with inputs from AFP)
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