Who is Jana Novotna? All you need to know about the former Wimbledon champion whose memories brought Barbora Krejcikova to tears after 2024 final

Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic beat Jasmine Paolini of Italy 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in the final of this year' Wimbledon to win her maiden title at the All England Club. It was the second consecutive Wimbledon title for a Czech woman, as Marketa Vondrousova had won the title last year.

Attaining Grand Slam glory is not new for Krejcikova. She had earlier won the French Open title in 2021. However, she was visibly emotional and in tears after the Wimbledon final, especially while remembering her compatriot, Jana Novotna, the 1998 Wimbledon champion, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 49.

Krejcikova's tennis journey was shaped in part by Novotna. As a teenager unsure of her path, Krejcikova wrote to Novotna, seeking advice. Novotna encouraged Krejcikova to pursue her passion for tennis, and that has proved to be a pivotal moment in the young athlete's career.

“I think knocking on her door, giving her the letter, during that moment, it changed my tennis life.... During the period when I finished uni, I didn’t know if I should continue and turn pro, or go to the way of education, Jana was the one who said I have the potential and definitely turn pro and try make it," Krejcikova said after the presentation ceremony.

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Jana Novotna made her mark in a strong era

Novotna, who turned pro in 1987 and retired in 1999, won a Grand Slam title and was runner-up in three other Majors. It was quite an achievement considering the fact that her career coincided with those of Steffi Graf and Monica Seles, two legends of the game.

In 1993, Novotna came within a whisker of winning her first Grand Slam title, the Wimbledon title, but ultimately fell short against Graf, even though she possessed the upper hand in the third set. Just like Krejcikova in 2024, Novotna was also in tears after the 1993 final, albeit for entirely different reasons.

However, she finally managed to win a Grand Slam in 1998 by beating Nathalie Tauziat at Wimbledon. Prior to that, in 1997, she reached a career-high ranking of world No. 2.

However, Novotna was a more accomplished doubles player, winning 76 titles, including 12 Grand Slam titles. She also won a couple of silver medals in doubles and a bronze in singles at the Olympics.

Novotna was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in her latter years and passed away in her homeland, leaving behind a lasting legacy as a tennis player. It was quite befitting that her name was mentioned after one of her compatriots won the Wimbledon title.