Agony to ecstasy – Noskova’s life comes full circle at Wimbledon

: Wimbledon 2026 marked a full circle moment for Linda Noskova. On the eve of the 2024 edition, during which she notched up her debut match-win at the All England Club, the Czech player lost her mother to cancer.

Two years on, the 21-year-old stood on Centre Court holding aloft the Venus Rosewater Dish – the prize given to the women’s singles champion – after beating compatriot Karolina Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 in a topsy-turvy final.

“I would definitely not be standing here without you, so thank you,” Noskova said after the triumph, paying tribute to her late mother with tears in her eyes and a hand raised skywards.

Saturday was also the culmination of a different journey for Noskova. In late May, she lost in the first round of the French Open and called it a “disaster”.

But in under seven weeks, she has put together successful title-runs at Berlin and Wimbledon, and is set to rise to a career-high ranking of No. 7.

The win at SW19 did not come easy, for she blew five championship points in the second set and had to weather a storm early in the third by saving multiple break-points.

“I was just telling myself that the match was starting [all] over,” Noskova said about her mindset before the start of the deciding set. “I was in the bathroom and just splashed some cold water on myself.

“But what really helped me [was]… after the first step I took off the court, the trophies were there. I was like, ‘I’m not going to take the small one, I’m taking the big one’.

“The third set would not have been the same if I had lost the first game. I lost five games in a row in the second; so it was very important to start off great. I’m glad that I kept my cool and somehow played like I did in the first set,” she added.

For Muchova, this was the moment the match slipped away. After a sluggish set and a half, the 29-year-old overturned a 2-5 deficit in the second stanza to level the contest at one set apiece.

“It took a lot of power and strength out of me to get back,” the 29-year-old said. “I gave it my all. I felt the momentum in the second set. Unfortunately, at the start of the third, it kind of slipped through my fingers.”

Wimbledon was Muchova’s second loss in a Major final after the 2023 French Open reverse to Iga Swiatek. She lost in three sets in Paris too (2-6, 7-5, 4-6).

“It will definitely take me a few days [to recover],” said Muchova, who will rise to No. 6 in the world.

“But I was in the finals and it’s still a pretty great achievement. It’s still something I would take. My game is good and I’m improving. It’s a goal of mine to lift that Grand Slam trophy. This is a setback, but a motivation as well.”