Krejcikova Clinches Maiden Wimbledon Title, Edges Paolini

On Saturday, July 13, Barbora Krejčíková of the Czech Republic won her first Wimbledon women’s singles title, defeating Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the final. Krejčíková, who had previously overcome former champion Elena Rybakina in the semifinals, triumphed over Paolini with a score of 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, securing her second Grand Slam title following her French Open singles victory in 2021. For Paolini, the loss marked her second consecutive Grand Slam final defeat, having been bested by Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros in June.

Seeded No. 31, Krejčíková dominated the opening set, breaking Paolini’s serve twice and displaying a powerful performance with her strong first serves. Paolini struggled to keep up, leading to Krejčíková taking the first set 6-2 with apparent ease, putting her on track for a straightforward victory.

However, Paolini staged an impressive comeback in the second set. She improved her baseline play and minimized unforced errors, while Krejčíková faltered, losing her serve twice. Paolini won the second set 6-2, setting the stage for a thrilling final set.

The decisive set was evenly matched until the seventh game when Krejčíková broke Paolini’s serve—the only break of the set. Both players held their serves afterward, leading Krejčíková to serve for the championship. The 28-year-old needed three championship points and had to save two break points before finally clinching the title.

With this victory, Krejčíková joins Martina Navratilova (now a US citizen), Petra Kvitová, Jana Novotná, and Markéta Vondroušová as Wimbledon women’s singles champions from the Czech Republic.