LONDON (AP) 鈥� Linda Noskova placed fingers in both of her ears to drown out the noise from the Centre Court crowd.
She draped one of strawberry-red towels over her head.
And eventually 鈥� after she had wasted five match points and a 5-2 lead and conceded the second set of a drama-filled final 鈥� she left the court completely for a bathroom break.
During Noskova’s brief time off the court, two shiny objects caught her attention: the Venus Rosewater Dish that is awarded to the women’s champion and the smaller dish for the runner-up.
鈥淚 was like, 鈥業鈥檓 not going to take the small one. I鈥檓 taking the big one. I have been so close. This will probably be the heartbreak of my life,鈥欌�� Noskova said. “‘I鈥檓 going to leave my soul on court in the third set, whatever that be.’鈥�
The 21-year-old Noskova did just as she promised herself, overcoming her second-set meltdown to beat Karolina Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 in an for her first Grand Slam trophy on Saturday.
When Noskova finally finished it off with a service winner on her sixth match point 鈥� and first of the third set 鈥� she covered her face and dropped down to the grass on her back.
Minutes later, Noskova was being awarded the Venus Rosewater Dish by .
鈥淚t鈥檚 never easy to get the last point,鈥� Noskova said during her victory speech. 鈥淜aro, you really made me work for it.鈥�
Noskova became the third Czech woman in four years to win the grass-court major, after in 2023 and in 2024.
Muchova and Noskova played doubles together at the 2024 Paris Olympics and finished fourth.
鈥淚 am so glad that I could play my first Grand Slam final with you,鈥� Noskova told Muchova during her speech. 鈥淲e made history today. All our Czech fans at home are proud of us no matter the result. It was a good day for both of us.鈥�
Petra Kvitova, who won Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014, was in attendance, as was the greatest Czech-born player of them all, Martina Navratilova 鈥� who won a record nine singles titles at the All England Club and was seated next to Princess Kate in the Royal Box; and Jan Kodes, the 1973 champion.
Kipling鈥檚 poem
An excerpt of the poem 鈥淚f鈥� by Rudyard Kipling that was placed above the players鈥� entrance to Centre Court more than a century ago summarizes the challenges Noskova had to overcome.
鈥淚f you can meet with triumph and disaster,鈥� the excerpt says. 鈥淎nd treat those two imposters just the same.鈥�
It’s not the first time that Noskova has had to overcome adversity at Wimbledon.
Her mother died just before she played the tournament two years ago.
鈥淚 definitely would not be standing here without her, so thank you,鈥� Noskova said in a dedication to her mother during her speech when she blew a kiss skyward.
Navratilova wiped away tears listening to Noskova’s tribute.
Moments earlier, Muchova began her runner-up speech by calling Noskova 鈥渕y ex-friend.
鈥淚鈥檓 kidding, obviously,鈥� Muchova quickly added. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e so young and this was your first final of a Grand Slam and the way you handled it … was really unbelievable. … You deserve it.鈥�
It was the 29-year-old Muchova’s second Grand Slam final after getting beat by Iga Swiatek at the French Open in 2023.
Wasted chances
Blasting aces and winners from all over the court early on, Noskova looked like she was going to run away with it almost like , which lasted all of 57 minutes.
Saturday’s match was just 68 minutes old when Noskova earned her first match point 鈥� which ended when she landed a backhand into the net.
Two points later, there was another backhand miss from Noskova; then Muchova took advantage of a net-cord shot on Noskova’s third match point in the same game.
Serving for the title in the next game, Noskova double faulted on her fourth match point. And then on the fifth occasion to end it, Muchova produced a big serve and forehand winner.
In all, Noskova lost five straight games.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to watch,鈥� Tracy Austin said on the BBC as she called the match alongside John McEnroe. 鈥淲e know what that feels like when you start to get tight and you can鈥檛 loosen up and then the lead starts to unravel.鈥�
Noskova said, 鈥淲inning it this way, really having to fight for it, having all these ups and downs, it matters a lot. I have to learn a lot from this match.”
Czech success
It鈥檚 Noskova鈥檚 second grass title of the season after beating Jessica Pegula in the Berlin Open final.
But as this match displayed, it hasn鈥檛 been all straightforward. Noskova saved a match point in the third set of her third-round match against Sorana Cirstea.
The 12th-ranked Noskova will climb to No. 7 鈥� a new career-high 鈥� when the next rankings are released on Monday.
She’s the youngest woman to win Wimbledon since Kvitova was also 21 in 2011.
Jana Novotna, one of Noskova鈥檚 first coaches, also won Wimbledon (in 1998).
How to explain all the Czech success?
鈥淭hey play on clay in the summer where you have to out-maneuver your opponent and then in the winter they go indoors and it鈥檚 first-strike tennis,鈥� Austin said. 鈥淭he best of both worlds to create an all-court player.鈥�
In on Sunday, top-ranked will attempt to defend his title against French Open champion .
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AP Sports Writer Ken Maguire contributed.
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