Quote of the Day: Barbora Krejcikova celebrates mentor Jana Novotna with Wimbledon win

Barbora Krejcikova celebrated a full circle milestone at the All England Club when she captured the 2024 Wimbledon title on Saturday, seeing her name etched alongside late coach and 1998 campion Jana Novotna.

Krejcikova famously wrote a letter to Novotna, who lifted the Wimbledon trophy on her third attempt just over a quarter-century ago, when deciding whether to pursue professional tennis and later worked with the former world No. 2 as she began life on the WTA tour.

“I wrote something that I'm playing tennis, that I'm 18, I just finished juniors, and that I don't know what to do right now. So if she could, like, look at me and maybe help me, guide me, tell me which direction should I go,” Krejcikova explained.

The two worked together until 2017, when Novotna tragically passed away from cancer in 2017.

“Pretty much her last words to me were to just enjoy and try to win a Grand Slam,”Krejcikova said in 2021, after winning her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros.

After defeating Jasmine Paolini in three sets for a second major victory, Krejcikova spoke at length about Novotna’s impact on her life and tennis in her post-match press conference:

Q. We saw you looking at your name and Jana's name on the honors board. It was an emotional moment for you. What did that mean to you?
BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, the only thing that was going through my head was that I miss Jana a lot. It was just very, very emotional. Very emotional moment to see me on a board right next to here. I think she would be proud. I think she would be really excited that I'm on a same board as she is because Wimbledon was super special for her.

Q. How long did you work together with Novotna? What was in the letter you gave to her?
BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: We started beginning of 2014 until she passed away. Well, like I'm not exactly sure what I wrote in the letter right now, but I wrote something that I'm playing tennis, that I'm 18, I just finished juniors, and that I don't know what to do right now. So if she could, like, look at me and maybe help me, guide me, tell me which direction should I go.

Q. This may be too sensitive. You talk about missing her. Do you ever have conversations with her in your head?
BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I'm dreaming about her a lot. I'm dreaming about her, like, in a dream, yeah.

Q. What's happening in those dreams?
BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, I think it's very personal. So I would just keep it like this. But, yes, I'm dreaming about her, and we talking in the dreams.