Bill Simons
Wimbledon
Everyone and his uncle predicted that Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic would meet again in the men’s final. No one on the face of this planet foresaw that Barbora Krejcikova and Jasmine Paolini would meet in the Wimbledon final.
After all, last year Jasmine Paolini was an obscure spear carrier. Only an Italian zealot or a tennis nerd who needs to get a life would have known who the 28-year-old was. She’s not small by tennis standards – she’s 5’ 4” – tiny. But this summer her smile has been lighting up Europe’s biggest tennis stadiums.
It’s not only that she’s from Tuscany, which is known more for its Botticellis than its backhands, she’s the first tennis star of Ghanaian and Polish heritage.
When she reached the French Open final, we thought, “That’s nice – what a fine one-off run – 15 minutes of fame. Paolini has never won a grass court match. She won’t do much damage at Wimbledon.”
Well, think again. She battled to the fourth round, where she was two points from defeat when Madison Keys injured herself and had to go home. Paolini would then win the longest women’s semifinal in Wimbledon history to reach the final, where she met another player with an astounding story.
Today Barbora Krejcikova was trying to advance the storied Czech tradition. Markéta Vondrousova took the title last year, Petra Kvitova won twice and Martina Navratilova watched from the Royal Box.
But Barbora’s narrative is deeply entwined with Czech Jana Novotna, who in 1993 famously grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory when she choked away the Wimbledon final, only to poignantly come back and win the title in 1998. When Barbora was a girl, with her mom by her side, she had asked Jana to help her with her tennis.
Jana soon became Barbora’s mentor. Krejcikova was by Novotna’s side as she died of cancer. Jana’s last words to Barbora were, “Enjoy! And try to win a Grand Slam.”
Krejcikova didn’t listen, she didn’t simply win one Slam. The 2021 French Open singles champ also won ten other Slam doubles titles.
But this year was a mess for the Czech: a back injury, a premature return to the Miami Open and then an illness. Before the grass court season, she hadn’t won a match in five months. Her doubts were deep. But her game lit up at Wimbledon, as she beat Jelena Ostapenko and then came from behind to down Elena Rybakina and reach the final.
Paolini was the first Italian woman to play a final at Wimbledon. Today, nervous and rushing, she lost ten of the first eleven points. What a rout! Krijokova was calm – it was as if she’d been in 13 Slam finals. Her near-perfect serve made a statement. Her sweeping shots had such an easy power. Thanks to her forehand, she looked like a Czech puppet master, pulling her foe from corner to corner. As she had been in her semifinal against Donna Vekic, Jasmine was adrift and lost the first set 6-2. Her explosive energy never ignited.
Iga Swiatek had pummeled Jasmine six weeks ago in Paris. The Minister of Happiness, Ons Jabeur, has had such unhappy results in the past two Wimbledon finals. Would another joyous battler again be smothered?
But after a bathroom break, Jasmine fired up and switched into attack mode. She got low, stepped in, hit deep and took advantage of an outbreak of errors from Barbora, wrestling back control of the match.
Like Carlos Alcaraz, she smiled her way through an awkward flub. “She’s so full of fun,” said a fan from Henman Hill. Paolini’s energy, her love of her craft, brightened the day. This tiny Tuscan delights in tapping into her inner ferocity. We heard her howls – we saw her fist pumps. She has an empowering self-belief. Suddenly she flipped the script, winning the second set 6-2. A once dull blow-out now gained third-set drama.
All the while Krejcikova retained her focus, picked up her aggression, took chances and ratcheted up the pressure. In the seventh game, Paolini finally cracked. Her shoulders slumped and her first double fault of the set gave the Czech a critical break. Barbora soldiered on to a 5-4, 30-0 lead.
But then nerves kicked in. She was flooded with anxiety. How could she not think of Novotna’s collapse? She double-faulted. “Her backhand is creaking and straining under the pressure,” commented Wimbledon Radio. Paolini gained two breakpoints. One felt the ghosts from that long-ago final.
But Barbora showed her mettle, bravely regrouped, and, on her third championship point, leaned into a pinpoint 108 mph serve to the corner, and the title was hers. Her hands went to the heavens. She ran to her box. The hugs were ecstatic. Then, in the now golden light, Barbora lifted the golden trophy.
We knew her thoughts had to go to her beloved mentor, Jana Novotna. The eighth different women’s winner in eight years and the second straight Czech champion soon gushed, “It’s the best day of my tennis career – and my life…I enjoyed it so much.”
Tennis is crowded with poignant sagas, but few are more moving than the Novotna-Krejcikova storyline. Barbora told us, “I have so many beautiful memories of Jana. I’m fighting for every single ball because that is what she would want me to do. I just miss her very much.”
On court Krejcikova again told the story of her approaching Jana in her green garden.
Moments later, Barbora took refuge within Wimbledon’s inner sanctuary and looked at its fabled green board that lists the women’s winners. Her eyes went to the 1998 listing and she wept. That year’s winner, Jana Novotna, who once suffered the most devastating collapse in tennis history, was now in heaven. Perhaps Jana’s words were simple: “Way to go, Barbora!”
FEARING MISS GOLDSON: For those who want to be Wimbledon ball boys or girls, there are two keys. You have to be able to stand still and you have to deal with the rather imposing boss. One retired ball girl confided that the head of umpires (please call her Miss Goldson) “inspires fear in 14-year olds throughout the area.”
For starters, the kids’ shirts have to be tucked in, laces have to be tied twice and hair needs to be flawless. Accurately rolling balls is a must, of course, and at all costs you don’t want to “cause a stir.” Lord no, you don’t want to be noticed. They’re told, “Be confident and stand like you own the place.”
ONE THING THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN AT THE US OPEN: Ball boys and girls stride in line throughout the Wimbledon grounds and, at times, draw applause.
TAKE THAT, EURO CUP FANS: Portuguese soccer legend Ronaldo commented, “I love tennis now more than football. It’s unbelievable. I can’t watch football matches…it’s too boring. But I can stay for 5 hours watching tennis. It’s crazy.”
GOOD NEWS: Wimbledon showcases wheelchair athletes in an extraordinary way.
Also reporting Vinay Venkatesh
