People leave, but what remains behind are their beautiful memories. It was November 19, 2017, a day etched in sorrow for the tennis community. The world lost Jana Novotna, the star tennis player, after her brave battle with ovarian cancer. The void she left has continued to be felt deeply within the tennis corridors. Among those most impacted by her passing is none other than Wimbledon star Barbora Krejcikova.

Krejcikova and Novotna had been associated with each other for a long time. The former hails from the same hometown, Brno as Novotna. As she was transitioning from junior to the professional circuit, she gathered the courage to meet the former Wimbledon champion after stumbling upon an article that informed her of Novotna’s background. She knocked on Novotna’s door and asked her advice going forward in her career. 

Looking at the determination of Krejcikova, Novotna invited her in, and after a short while, she realized the potential of her young protege. She decided to train Krejcikova for her professional endeavor in 2014. But unfortunately, this could not last long. Novotna had to stop training Krejcikova after she discovered her illness. But the young Czech, who was just three years old when Novotna won her first Wimbledon title, continued to receive Novotna’s support as a mentor. Destiny, however, had different plans for Barbora as Novotna soon bid adieu to the world in 2017, leaving behind memories for her mentee which she cherishes even today. 

Speaking after winning her French Open title in 2021, Krejcikova could not help crediting her coach for her victory. “She was really looking after me. And I really miss her and I just want to thank her because … because of her I’m here. It’s really important to me to say this out loud.” The Czech star further resonated with similar sentiments in this year’s Wimbledon. She recalled the close bond shared with Novotna in the post-match interview after defeating Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals. 

“She was telling me a lot of stories about her journey here and how she was trying to win Wimbledon. I was so far away when we had this talk. Now I am here and I am in a final.” When commentator Annabel Croft consoled her saying Novotna would be “looking down on her,” Krejcikova was seen weeping inconsolably. Expressing her grief, she continued, “I just miss her very much. I miss her so much.”

It might be anticipated that Krejcikova can depict such sentiments again if she wins her maiden Wimbledon title on Saturday. But as the Czech tennis star reached the final of the tournament and is possibly set to give the best tribute to her former coach, she revealed that it was not an easy task for her. 

“I made some progress…” Krejcikova reveals the change she brought to her game

Krejcikova entered this year’s Wimbledon after not so impressive performance. Having won just seven matches in the singles category this season Krejcikova was struggling to upkeep her gameplay. And hence, not many would have expected her to enter the finals of the prestigious tournament. But, the 28-year-old defied the odds and revealed the efforts she put into the achievement.

Speaking after defeating Rybakina, Krejcikova said that she had to improve everything. “I think I definitely got better on faster surfaces. I feel like I had to develop my game because everybody else is developing their game, too. It’s great that it looks like I made some progress, that I’m in another final.”

As Wimbledon is set to be over soon, it will be fascinating to see if the changed attitude and skills can help Krejcikova clinch her first slam on the green surface. Will she pay the perfect tribute to her coach against Jasmine Paolini? Only time will tell.