A jubilant Linda Noskova celebrated her first grand slam title after a thrilling 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 victory over fellow Czech Karolina Muchova at Wimbledon. The 21-year-old's triumph marked her as the sixth Czech woman to secure the title in the Open era.

Noskova initially led with a commanding score of 6-2, 5-2, but faced a tense moment as she missed five match points, allowing Muchova to level the match. In a crucial moment, Noskova took a bathroom break, which helped her reset her focus. "What really helped me, the first step I took off court, the trophies were there. I was like: ‘I’m not going to take the small one, I’m taking the big one,'" she reflected on her motivation.

The first game of the final set proved pivotal for Noskova, as she saved three break points. "Let’s say I’m brave enough to say that the third set would not have been the same if maybe I would have lost the first game," she noted, emphasizing the importance of her strong start.

Despite wanting to finish in two sets, Noskova expressed pride in her resilience. She acknowledged the stress of the match, stating, "Just winning it this way, really having to fight for it, having all these ups and downs, it matters a lot."

Muchova, reflecting on her performance, described it as “one of my worst matches of the tournament.” At 29, after her previous slam final loss to Iga Swiatek at the 2023 French Open, she acknowledged the effort it took to level the match. "It took a lot of power and strength out of me, I would say, to get back in that second set. I gave it my all."

Despite the setback, Muchova remained optimistic, stating, "It’s still a pretty great achievement... I think my game is good. I’m improving... It’s a dream of mine to lift that grand slam trophy. This is a setback, but as well a motivation."