Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova back on top after a roller-coaster three years

WIMBLEDON, England — Even Barbora Krejcikova didn’t think she would win the singles title at Wimbledon.

Her late mentor, Jana Novotna, had won in 1998 and, before Novotna died of cancer in 2017, she had told Krejcikova to win a Grand Slam. When Krejcikova did just that at the French Open four years later, she was sure it was because Novotna was looking out for her from above.

But Krejcikova still didn’t think she would repeat the feat at the All England Club. That was just too much of a miracle. “I never dreamed that I would win the same trophy as Jana did in 1998,” she said Saturday.

And with the season she was having, few believed she had a chance this year. She’d had a back injury, an illness that sidelined her, a winless season on clay and a plummeting ranking.

But at Wimbledon, the 28-year-old Krejcikova’s self-belief grew with every match she played. And on Saturday, she exceeded her wildest dreams and won the Wimbledon title with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 victory over No. 7 seed Jasmine Paolini in the final. But while she called it “the best day” of her career and life on the court, Krejcikova didn’t seem to be thinking about any larger implications.

“I still feel the same,” Krejcikova said. “It’s great that I’m a two-time major champion. It’s something unbelievable. I mean, on the other hand, I’m still the same person. I still love tennis very much. I still want to continue playing tennis well and fight for other tournaments.”

AS A 12-YEAR-OLD, Krejcikova wrote down her ultimate goal: to win the French Open. Hoisting the trophy on the red clay at Roland Garros was what motivated her during her early days and what she pictured when she closed her eyes at the end of the day.

But meeting Novotna changed things, and she started to think about what it would be like to win Wimbledon. They had started working together when Krejcikova was 18 and had just finished her junior career. Krejcikova was unsure if she should turn professional, and her parents encouraged her to write a letter to Novotna, a former world No. 2 and fellow Czech, asking for advice. Novotna responded a week later and the two began working together soon after. Novotna told Krejcikova she had potential and encouraged her to turn pro.

They quickly grew close and Krejcikova valued her guidance and friendship. Novotna told her stories about Wimbledon. What the grass was like. How hard it was to become the champion.

“I think since then I started to see…