“I just miss her very much,” said Barbora Krejcikova of her late mentor, Jana Novotna, before commencing her final match at Wimbledon. A former Wimbledon champion herself, Novotna left every tennis fan tear-eyed when she passed away 7 years ago. The void still remains and the echoes of her serve and volley game still reverberate. Her everlasting impact on tennis is still fresh in everyone’s mind, and former tennis pro, Kim Clijsters’ tribute to her, underscores the same.

The twelve-time doubles Grand Slam champion has aced both the singles and doubles categories in tennis, showcasing her unique playing style to the world since 1987. However, her battle with ovarian cancer proved to be deadly, as she held her last breath on November 19, 2017. The former Czech player, who was only 49 at the time, left the entire tennis community in grief. Like many other players, Kim Clijsters also could never get over the sad incident.

Almost eight years have passed since then, but the Belgian tennis player made sure to rekindle her memory and pay tribute to her at Wimbledon. Sharing an adorable picture of Novotna embracing her Grand Slam from 1998, the year after which Clijsters turned pro in tennis, she wrote on her Instagram, “When you walk in the members locker room this beautiful picture of Jana Novotna greets the players every time we walk in. ❤️. What an inspiration for all but especially for @bkrejcikova in today’s final @wimbledon.”

Her statement not only highlights the inspirational and illustrious 14-year career of Novotna, but it also alludes to another success story in the making. After all, the Czech tennis pro, Barbora Krejcikova, who has stepped into the final match at Wimbledon for the first time in her career, was a devotee of her mentor, Novotna, who has coached her since childhood. Therefore, it’s not only an emotional but also a proud moment for the former World No. 2 Krejcikova. The 28-year-old Czech, after qualifying for the final, made sure to show her gratitude to Novotna.

“Definitely I remember thinking about Jana a lot. I have so many beautiful memories and when I step on the court here, I am fighting for every ball and I am sure that is what she would want me to do,” Krejcikova said. Not only in her way of playing tennis, Barbora keeps Jana alive in her funny anecdotes about her, too!

Krejcikova shares “funny” advice from Novotna

Krejcikova’s resurgence at Wimbledon is a fascinating story in itself. However, what adds more to it is that maybe now she will be able to fulfill her ex-coach’s wish. While revealing one of the greatest pieces of advice she has ever received from her mentor, Novotna, she shared an interesting story along with it on X.

“I don’t have an exact answer, to be honest. I still think about her A LOT so she is still teaching me in some way, I think her advices would be more accurate now.” Further adding, the former French Open winner said, “But funny thing—she was very keen on me starting to fly in a business class as soon as I could afford it.”

Jana Novotna passed away before witnessing Barbora Krejcikova’s first Grand Slam victory and she will also be missing in her attempt to earn a second one. But either way, her talent in the sport will forever be etched in tennis history!