Talent runs deep in the Krejcikova family! Wimbledon finalist Barbora Krejcikova has proved herself time and again on the tennis court (even missing school during her teens to pursue the profession). But perhaps this go-getter attitude comes from her folks, who’ve made sure to give something back to the world, too!

While the 28-year-old has been extremely secretive about her private life, on one rare occasion recently, there came a moment when she revealed the profession of her mother, Hana Krejcikova, who is a doctor. But that’s not the family’s only tie with the noble profession.

In an appearance on the WTA Insider podcast, Krejcikova was asked about the most interesting thing that she got obsessed with lately. Taking a moment to think, the WTA star replied, “I mean, the one that I do recently, a lot. I don’t know if a lot I would say but what I like to do also is like medical stuff. Because I mean I have it like my family, my mom, she has, she was a doctor and my brother, he works in like a medical industry. So yeah, like I’m getting really close to that part.” Notably, for the Wimbledon finalist, her mother’s role has been paramount to help her reach where she is today.

“My mum was my biggest supporter, as she was coming with me to tennis every single afternoon,” Krejcikova shared, revealing the exciting fact that her mother never forced her to pursue a similar career. Well, truth be told, even if her mother tried to force the tennis player into a similar profession, that wouldn’t have worked out anyway. From a young age, the former World No. 2 was intrigued with wielding racquets and put everything else below it, even her education at times. “I always liked playing the finals at minor tournaments, because we played on Mondays and I didn’t have to go to school. That was my goal for the weekend,” she had revealed once.

And, boy, did that dedication pay off! The player made her debut in 2014, and picked up her first grand slam singles title at Roland Garros in 2021. Apart from that, she’s also won three Australian Open mixed crowns and seven major doubles titles. And now she’s vying to be the fifth Czech woman to win the Wimbledon title in the Open Era. Beating 2022 champion, Elena Rybakina  3-6 6-3 6-4 in the semis, she will face Jasmine Paolini in a match that can only be described as electric.

But despite such huge strides in her career, the tennis star only has one thing on her mind and heart: her late mentor and friend Jana Novotna.

More than anything, it was a solid friendship

A little over a decade ago, Krejcikova was in a terrible dilemma, unable to decide whether to pursue pro tennis or academics. So, she gathered all her courage, wrote down her situation on a piece of paper and knocked on Jana Novotna’s front door, making way for a camaraderie the whole tennis community would come to appreciate.

“Going to Jana, knocking on her door, giving her the letter, changed my life,” she said of the star, who also hailed from Brno, before continuing, “In that period, when I finished juniors, I didn’t know what I should do, Jana told me I have the potential and that I should definitely turn pro. Before she passed away, she told me to go and win a Grand Slam, I achieved that (2021), it was an unbelievable moment for me.”

Since 2021, Krejcikova was plagued with setbacks, including an elbow injury, forcing her to withdraw from the 2022 Indian Wells. Another back injury also affected her performance this year, relegating her to a 7-9 record ahead of her grass-court major campaign. But now as she stands face-to-face with creating history, Krejcikova can’t help but remember her friend.

“I just miss her very much. I miss her so much…I am fighting for every ball, and I am sure that is what she would want me to do,” she reminisced. 1998 Wimbledon champion Novotna, an irrefutable icon, passed away in 2017 after a hard-fought battle with ovarian cancer.

“Couple of years ago I was working with Jana Novotna, she won it here in 1998. At that point, she was telling me a lot of stories about her journeys here and how she was trying to win Wimbledon. I was so far [away] when we had this talk and now I’m here and wow, I’m in the final,” she had revealed further.

Hopefully Barbora Krejcikova can win her maiden Wimbledon title. One thing’s for sure: her friend will surely support her along the way. Do you think the Czech player can beat Jasmine Paolini to take home the Venus Rosewater Dish? Let us know your predictions in the comments below!