Noskova survives tearful meltdown to clinch first Wimbledon title

LONDON (Agencies): Linda Noskova recovered from an attack of nerves that saw her squander five match points in the second set as she completed a 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 win over fellow Czech Karolina Muchova in a roller-coaster Wimbledon women’s singles final on Saturday. In two hours and 28 minutes of unrelenting drama, Noskova showed the heart of a champion to establish herself as the youngest woman to win Wimbledon in 15 years. The 21-year-old was in complete control as she won the opening set in 32 minutes and led 5-2 in the second in the first Grand Slam singles final between two women from the Czech Republic in the professional era. But a battling Muchova saved three match points at 2-5, another in the next game when a faltering Noskova served a double fault and then another at 4-5 as a previously one-sided contest belatedly burst into life on Centre Court. Ninth seed Noskova lost five successive games as her Oly­mpic doubles partner dragged the match into a decider. Somehow Noskova banished the demons in her head as she regained control to forge 5-2 ahead in the third set. The 29-year-old Muchova pulled one game back as the shadows crept across the court but when Noskova was asked to serve for the match for a second time, she made no mistake to claim her first Grand Slam title. After bringing up another two match points, well over an hour after her first one, she banged down an unreturnable serve before collapsing to the court in relief as much as joy. Noskova is the third Czech player in four years to win the Wimbledon women’s title after Marketa Vondrousova in 2023 and Barbora Krejcikova in 2024. Moreover, Noskova is only the third woman to win Wimbledon after saving a match point earlier in the tournament, joining Venus Williams (2005) and Serena Williams (2009).

“I have been enjoying these two weeks so much, through the sad tears and the happy tears, all the sweat and blood I put into this,” an emotional Noskova said on court after blowing a kiss to the sky in honour of her mum who died of cancer two years ago.  “It was all worth it, so I will definitely never forget this week, these two weeks.” The third tour-level title of Noskova’s career emulated the success of her compatriot Petra Kvitova, who was the same age when she won the first of her two Wimbledon crowns in 2011. It was a full circle moment for Noskova, who was inspired to take up tennis by the Wimbledon success of her childhood idol Kvitova. Fittingly, Kvitova was watching from the royal box as Noskova celebrated her breakthrough victory. It was an emotional moment too for Muchova, who for the second time in a Grand Slam final ended up beaten. “It’s really tough to find any words,” 10th seed Muchova, who reached the French Open final three years ago but has had to battle with injuries, said. “To my ex-friend … I’m only kidding.“This was your first Grand Slam final and the way you handled it and the way you played was really unbelievable.”