Amid the rise of Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, is Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova being overlooked?
As the curtains were brought down on yet another exhilarating edition of the Wimbledon Championships, the world congratulated the champions who prevailed over two weeks of gruelling tennis. The women's draw has been particularly intriguing. This is the seventh successive season with a different women's Wimbledon winner, as opposed to the men's side, which has been dominated by a few at the top.
Put your hands together for Barbora Krejcikova, your Wimbledon Ladies Singles Champion for 2024, who triumphed in a thrilling three-setter over the Italian Jasmine Paolini, considering it the best day in her life.
Barbora Krejcikova did not have an easy draw at Wimbledon. Seeded No. 31, she had to battle against four higher-ranked opponents (Danielle Collins, Jelena Ostapenko, Elena Rybakina, and Jasmine Paolini) back-to-back en route to the victory, including wins against two top 10 players.
The victory is even more remarkable given that nobody really considered her as a potential title-contender, especially in the presence of pre-tournament favourites: Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka (who had to pull out due to a nagging shoulder injury, unfortunately) and Elena Rybakina. This begs the question: Are we doing a disservice to the sport of tennis by overlooking a champion who has time and again proved her mettle?
Krejcikova had previously won a solitary Grand Slam in 2021 at the French Open. Her best previous outing at the grass-court showpiece of Wimbledon, on the other hand, consisted of only a fourth-round appearance. However, she has had immense success as a doubles specialist, reaching the top of the rankings table in 2018 and completing the Career Grand Slam (winning all four Grand Slams: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open) in 2022.
Her doubles trophy cabinet boasts a staggering ten Grand Slams (seven in women’s doubles and three in mixed doubles) along with victory in the WTA Finals and Tokyo Olympics gold medal.
Looking at Krejcikova's achievements against the backdrop of her peers, a comparison with the 'Big-4' is imminent. Top-ranked Iga Swiatek has amassed five Grand Slam singles titles, although she has not been able to replicate her red-dirt success on grass.
Youngster Coco Gauff won the US Open last year in singles and the French Open earlier this year in doubles. The mighty Aryna Sabalenka has two Grand Slam titles, both coming at the Australian Open. Elena Rybakina possesses membership to the All England Lawn Tennis Club, courtesy of her win at SW19 in 2022.
Last year, Krejcikova rued not getting the media attention akin to Swiatek, Sabalenka and Rybakina. Specifically, speaking to WTA Insider after her third-round win over Madison Keys at the 2023 Miami Open, she mentioned the lack of discussion about her.
"When I read something on social media, it's about Iga, Aryna, and Elena - I'm not really there. I want to be mentioned as well. I want to be recognised as well because I think I deserve it. I've had a lot of success on the tour and I just don't get the credit."
Is it because doubles events do not garner as much fanfare as their singles counterparts? In her Wimbledon post-match press conference, Krejcikova addressed this and said that all Grand Slam winners deserve equal respect.
“For me, winning a slam in any category is an extremely great achievement,” she stated.
It is high time we give Barbora Krejcikova the recognition she truly deserves
Among the top 4 currently, only Swiatek has more singles Grand Slam titles than Krejcikova. However, the total Grand Slam victory count for Krejcikova is in double digits as a result of her doubles exploits. She has won twelve Grand Slam finals from a total of thirteen appearances, an unparalleled win percentage showcasing her champion’s mindset. Clearly, she has significant achievements to be talked about in the same breath as the current top 4.
Despite entering the tournament outside the top 30, Krejcikova now finds herself back in the top 10 afte her magical Wimbledon run. It is about time we give her due credit and the recognition she truly deserves.
As Martina Navratilova looked on from the royal box at SW19 last Saturday, one couldn't help but think that she was glad to see Czech tennis being in a good space once again, with Marketa Vondrousova having won Wimbledon last year. Krejcikova now prepares to defend her doubles crown at the upcoming Paris Olympics on the back of her gritty Wimbledon title, boosting her confidence.
It also makes for an exciting last stretch of the season, to see whether a fully confident Barbora Krejcikova can carry her Wimbledon form into the hardcourts and wreak havoc at the top of women's tennis again.