It feels somehow fitting that at the end of what has been one of the most open women’s singles events in history, two Czech players should find themselves fighting it out for the biggest title in the game. Saturday’s clash between Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova is the first all-Czech Wimbledon final in history, but it’s also the latest example of a long line of Czech players who have found grass the surface on which to show their best.
Martina Navratilova, perhaps the greatest female player of all time, started the ball rolling when she won the first of her record nine Wimbledon titles in 1978 (she was officially a US citizen by the time she played Hana Mandlikova in the 1986 final). Jana Novotna won in 1998, Petra Kvitova triumphed twice in 2011 and 2014 and with Marketa Vondrousova winning in 2023 and Barbora Krejcikova following up in 2024, it means that whoever wins on Saturday will provide Czechia with a third Wimbledon champion in four years and sixth of the open era.
It’s a remarkable achievement, a conveyor belt of talent that must be the envy of the rest of the world. Muchova will be appearing in her second grand slam final, having lost to Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros in 2023 while the 21-year-old Noskova, eight years younger and seeded one spot higher at No 9, is appearing in her first. Both women won grass-court titles in the run-up to Wimbledon.
In terms of experience, Muchova has a clear edge and a game that would seem perfect for grass, even if her record at Wimbledon has been somewhat odd. She reached the quarter-finals in her first two appearances but has lost in the first round in each of the four years. Injuries, confidence and occasionally someone playing out of her skin were all contributing factors, but she has everything; a good serve, fine athleticism, power, a great slice and variety.
Sometimes too many options can be troublesome but this year, she has put it all together, showing why she is often likened to Roger Federer. “She’s great to watch,” the former world No 1 Tracy Austin tells The Guardian. “I think there’s been tremendous growth this year. She seems to be keeping the injuries at bay, because that’s been her biggest issue. Then winning two of her three titles this year, her biggest title in Doha, first grass-court title, there seems to be tremendous growth in putting together the pieces of this very talented game.
“It’s a beautiful game to watch, but also a lot of times when you have that many choices there’s more to figure out, there is a lot of decision-making.”
Austin pointed to the role that Sven Groeneveld has played. The Dutchman, a former coach of Maria Sharapova, joined Muchova’s team at the start of 2026. “Sven’s such a veteran,” Austin says. “Maybe he’s helping her to make the thinking very clear.”
Until their semi-finals, Muchova and Noskova had not even played on Centre Court, but the two friends were able to practise on it before their semi-finals, something that must have helped ease the nerves as they prepared for huge matches, Muchova saving match point to beat Coco Gauff and Noskova ending the run of Marta Kostyuk. The two women know each other well and played together in doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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Saturday’s final will be an enormous moment in both players’ careers but at 21, Noskova has less baggage and seems to be fearless. She has a big serve, moves well and likes to get forward, something all Czech women players seem to be happy doing.
“We are very creative, I would say, so grass allows us to kind of use any side of tennis, if it’s serve and volley back in the old days, if it’s slices and volleys in this new era,” Noskova said.
“We have so many tennis schools in Czechia, even though we’re such a small country. We have so many great coaches that have been working with worldwide greatest players. I really don’t know [why they have produced so many champions]. If I knew, I guess all the other countries would have been doing the same thing.”
