Czech through to Wimbledon tennis final this Saturday

Barbora Krejčíková, a 28-year-old Czech tennis player, has advanced to the Wimbledon final for the first time in her career. After defeating the tournament's top four and last year's champion Elena Rybakina from Kazakhstan in the semifinals, Krejčíková will face seventh-seeded Italian Jasmine Paolini for her second Grand Slam title on Saturday afternoon.

This marks the third time in the last three years that a Czech player has made it to the Wimbledon final, with Markéta Vondroušová dominating last year and Karolína Plíšková also playing in the 2021 final.

Krejčíková's impressive performance at Wimbledon has brought her to the final of a Grand Slam for the second time in her career, with the chance to emulate her 2018 triumph at Roland Garros, in Paris. In her previous appearances at Wimbledon, her furthest was reaching the round of 16 three years ago.

"I'm very proud of my game and combativeness," Krejčíková said in an emotional on-court interview. She also paid tribute to her late coach and 1998 Wimbledon champion, Jana Novotna, saying "I think about her a lot. I have a lot of beautiful memories. And when I enter here on the court, I try to fight for every ball because I think that's what she would want from me. I miss her a lot."

In her semifinal match against Rybakina, Krejčíková showed resilience and determination as she fought back from a 4-0 deficit in the first set. Despite facing numerous break points, she managed to turn the tide and win the second set, before ultimately claiming victory in the third set with a dominant performance.

Krejčíková's win was also aided by her opponent's 37 unforced errors, with the native of Moscow representing Kazakhstan struggling to find her footing on the grass courts at the All England Club. 

In the 2024 Wimbledon tournament, Krejčíková is seeded 31st and has a world ranking of 32. Her opponent in the final – who is also 28 – made the final of the Roland Garros Grand Slam tournament in June. Previously, she had never made it past the first round of Wimbledon.