'Nobody will believe I won Wimbledon - I still can't'

As Barbora Krejcikova stood pinch nan Venus Rosewater Dish successful her hands, location was 1 point she could not extremity saying.

"I don't person immoderate words correct now, it's conscionable unbelievable," nan Czech said, to cheers from nan crowd.

Asked what it intends to nan Czech Republic to person different Wimbledon champion, she said: "Well, I deliberation cipher believes it that I sewage to nan last and cipher believes that I won Wimbledon.

"I still can't judge it."

Krejcikova arrived astatine SW19 having won conscionable 3 matches successful 5 months, nan consequence of a play plagued by wounded and illness.

She leaves it arsenic nan Wimbledon champion, winning done 7 matches successful a statement and closing it retired pinch a thrilling 6-2 2-6 6-4 triumph against seventh seed Jasmine Paolini.

The tourney began for Krejcikova pinch a reliable three-set triumph complete Veronika Kudermetova - a brace of tie-breaks followed by a 7-5 decider.

From somewhere, Krejcikova recovered nan crippled that made nan unbelievable dream a reality.

"Two weeks agone I had a very reliable match, and I wasn't successful bully style earlier that because I was injured and ill," she said.

"I didn't really person a bully opening to nan season. It's unbelievable I'm stood present now and I've won Wimbledon.

"I person nary thought [how it happened]."

The representation of Jana Novotna, Wimbledon champion successful 1998, has been ever-present during nan erstwhile French Open champion's tally to this title.

When she was aged 18, Krejcikova and her parents visited Novotna's location and asked for her help.

Novotna agreed, becoming some coach and mentor. She and Krejcikova remained adjacent until Novotna's decease from ovarian crab successful 2017 aged conscionable 49.

"That day, knocking connected her door, it changed my life," Krejcikova said successful her on-court interview.

"She was nan 1 who told maine I had nan imaginable and I should decidedly move pro. Before she passed distant she told maine I tin triumph a Slam.

"I achieved that successful Paris successful 2021 and it was an unbelievable infinitesimal for maine and I ne'er really dreamed I would triumph nan aforesaid trophy arsenic Jana did successful 1998."

The 28-year-old shuns hotels erstwhile she arrives astatine Wimbledon, preferring nan "relaxed atmosphere" of nan location wherever Novotna utilized to reside during nan Championships.

The pair's names are now some etched connected nan women's champions committee astatine Wimbledon - a show that brought Krejcikova to tears arsenic she stood location pinch nan trophy afterwards.

"I deliberation she would beryllium proud," Krejcikova said. "I deliberation she would beryllium really excited that I'm connected a aforesaid committee arsenic she is because Wimbledon was ace typical for her."

For Krejcikova, winning Wimbledon was not nan puerility dream.

Instead it was French Open glory she was aft - a extremity she wrote successful a notebook erstwhile she was 12 years old.

"Maybe things shifted a small spot erstwhile I really met Jana and erstwhile she was telling maine each nan stories astir Wimbledon, astir nan grass, really difficult it was for her to triumph nan title and really affectional she was erstwhile she really made it," Krejcikova said.

"Since past I started to spot Wimbledon for illustration nan biggest tourney successful nan world."

For Paolini, it was a 2nd Grand Slam singles last conclusion successful nan abstraction of 5 weeks aft losing heavy to Iga Swiatek successful nan French Open showpiece.

In some Paris and Wimbledon, nan 5ft 4in Italian became an instant instrumentality favourite pinch her bubbly characteristic and never-say-die attitude.

But sheer determination and doggedness were not capable to extremity Swiatek aliases Krejcikova erstwhile it mattered.

"I deliberation I did amended than nan past final, but still not enough," Paolini said successful her news conference.

She will go nan world number 5 erstwhile nan latest rankings are released, becoming nan first Italian female to characteristic successful nan apical 5 since Sara Errani successful 2013.

However, erstwhile asked what nan adjacent measurement successful her awesome emergence would be, Paolini was stuck for words.

"I don't know," she said. "Sometimes I'm a small spot frightened to dream excessively much. I person to opportunity that.

"If I support this level, I deliberation I tin person nan chance to do awesome things."