Barbora Krejcikova, Double Threat: A Czech star is born with maiden singles Slam

Barbora Krejcikova is officially a double threat. The former doubles No. 1 claimed her first Grand Slam singles title at Roland Garros, overcoming a fierce challenge from Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.

"I'm extremely happy," Krejcikova said in press. "I mean, it's a dream come true, for sure. It's really hard to put the words together right now because so many emotions, so many things going through my mind.

"I'm just really happy that I was able to handle it as I did, that mentally I think that was the biggest key. I spoke with my psychologist again, and we spoke about it a lot. Like I just knew that as soon as I'm going to enter the court, I'm just not going to be panicking anymore. That was actually happening. I was really happy about that."

Krejcikova made a lightning start and withstood a fightback to become the first Czech woman to win in Paris in 30 years after just under two hours on Court Philippe Chatrier, striking 34 winners to Pavlyuchenkova's 23.

"It's something I have always dreamt about, winning here, my first doubles title, then some doubles title, then winning the mixed ones. Now I was just telling myself, 'It would be really nice if I can get the Grand Slam in all three categories.' Now it's happening. I cannot believe it. Now it's happening. Wow."

How it happened: Tennis.com's Women's Final Live Blog

Facing off for the first time, both women brought their own experience to what was undoubtedly the biggest singles match of their respective careers. Pavlyuchenkova was a former junior prodigy and Top 30 staple with a whopping 52 Grand Slam main draw appearances to her name.

By contrast, Krejcikova is only making her fifth in singles but had already reached the pinnacle of the game in doubles, becoming world Co-No. 1 alongside longtime partner Katerina Siniakova. Together, the former junior doubles standouts won back-to-back titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in 2018.

Krejcikova was also coming off an epic semifinal victory over Maria Sakkari, saving a match point to win a 9-7 final set. Pavlyuchenkova won a more straightforward encounter with surprise semifinalist Tamara Zidansek, likely a welcome relief from her trio of three-setters against No. 3 seed Aryna Sabalenka, former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, and Serena Williams’ conqueror Elena Rybakina.

Pavlyuchenkova, who speaks French, having previously lived and trained in Paris, initially enjoyed the brighter start on Saturday—breaking serve off some tentative early play from the unseeded Czech.

A point from an 0-2 deficit, Krejcikova soon found her consistency and began exposing Pavlyuchenkova’s weaker movement, reeling off the next six games to sweep the opening set.

Overwhelmed as the second set got underway, Pavlyuchenkova, who reunited with brother Aleksandr as her primary coach earlier this year, bravely saved a break point and took that momentum into the following game, racing ahead 0-40 before converting with a powerful backhand down the line.

The Russian’s flatter hitting continued to penetrate Krejcikova’s topspin, which relies on precise racquetspeed, and soon found herself up a 5-1 lead of her own as she overpowered the Czech on return.

On the brink of forcing a decider, the match took a bizarre turn on set point as Pavlyuchenkova appeared to injure her left leg, one that was already sporting some tape below the knee. Ever the individualist, she spent the subsequent medical timeout snacking on Gummy Bears while the trainer applied strapping to her thigh.

"I have to be honest," Pavlyuchenkova said after the match. "I wasn't mentioning because I was still in the tournament. I didn't want my opponents to hear. But the Sabalenka match, I was actually in a really bad shape physically. I don't know how I even won that match because I also had a medical treatment there, I had to wrap my leg.

"I've struggled with my knees for a while, with my left knee. That caused a lot of pain in my knee after because I compensate a lot in my body. Actually in the third set during the Sabalenka match, I said to myself, 'If I win this match, I'm going to cry.' It's such a shame, I play so good, but my body says this to me: I don't want to continue.'"

Pavlyuchenkova proved undaunted by the interlude and put down one last backhand winner to even the match at one set apiece.

Visibly concerned with how she would serve in light of the injury, she judiciously practiced her motion while Krejcikova left the court before the decider, and emerged out of an exchange of breaks with a solid hold.

Krejcikova responded in emphatic style, winning eight straight points to reclaim the break advantage and was soon at championship point on the Russian's serve.

Shaking off some nerves at the finish line, she converted her fourth championship point on her own serve in the next game, capturing her first Grand Slam singles title—and still has a doubles final to play. She and Siniakova will take on Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Iga Swiatek at the end of the championship weekend.

Krejcikova received the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen from Martina Navratilova, the last Czech-born woman to hoist the trophy, and is the first champion to represent the Czech Republic since Hana Mandlikova in 1981.