WIMBLEDON champion Barbora Krejcikova broke down in tears live on BBC TV after remembering her late mentor.
The Czech ace lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish on Centre Court this afternoon for the first time.
She beat smiling Italian Jasmine Paolini 6-2 2-6 6-4 to secure her second singles Grand Slam.
And by winning Wimbledon, she followed in the footsteps of her former coach and inspiration Jana Novotna who reigned in SW19 in 1998.
Novotna, who cried on the Duchess of Kent after losing the 1993 final, died of ovarian cancer aged 49 in November 2017 – after accepting Krejcikova’s request for help.
So when All England Club chair Debbie Jevans pointed out Novotna’s name on the Wimbledon honours board now alongside her own, Krejcikova could not hold in the tears.
Jevans comforted the new champion with a hand on the back before the Czech star posed for a photo with the iconic trophy in front of the list of former winners.
Krejcikova said: “I miss Jana a lot. It was a very emotional moment to see me on a board right next to her.
“I think she would be proud. I think she would be really excited that I’m on the same board as she is because Wimbledon was super special for her.
“I still dream about her a lot. And we are talking in the dreams.”
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Krejcikova is the FOURTH woman representing the Czech Republic to reign on grass and EIGHTH different champion in eight years.
She banked a whopping £2.7million for her Wimbledon triumph.
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But the victory is a far cry from the youngster who bravely knocked on Novotna’s door with a letter asking to take her under her wing.
Krejcikova said: “Knocking on Jana’s door, giving her the letter, everything that happened during that moment, it’s changed my tennis life.
“I’m not exactly sure what I wrote in the letter. Something like, ‘I’m playing tennis, I’m 18, I just finished juniors, I don’t know what to do right now.’
“So, if she could look at me and maybe help me, guide me, tell me which direction should I go. I didn’t know if I should play pro or go the way of education.
PRIZE MONEY for the 2024 Wimbledon Championships is a new record – and puts the grass-court Slam at the top of the tree.
The All England Club will dish out £50million across all the events – an increase of £5.3m and 11.9 per cent on last year, where singles champions Carlos Alcaraz and Marketa Vondrousova picked up £2.35m each.
However, the king and queen of grass this July will collect an extra £350,000 – taking the winner’s earnings to £2.7m.
Here is the breakdown for the 2024 Wimbledon singles prize money:
“Jana was the one that told me that I had the potential and I should definitely turn pro and try to make it.
“Before she passed away, she told me to win a Slam. I achieved that already in Paris and it was an unbelievable moment for me.
“But I never dreamt that I’d win the same trophy as Jana did in 1998.”
Krejcikova was watched on by A-list celebrities galore inside Centre Court – including Tom Cruise, Hugh Jackman and Zendaya.
And the No31 seed was crowned the least likely Wimbledon ladies’ singles champ for 50 years.
Her pre-tournament odds of 125/1 – even longer than her compatriot Marketa Vondrousova’s 100/1 figures when she became the first unseeded champ in 2023.
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