Noskova Dedicates Wimbledon Triumph To Late Mother And Nature After Dramatic Final
After an emotional win over Karolina Muchova at Wimbledon, Linda Noskova spoke about her late mother Ivana, volunteering, and how a moment off court helped her reset to take the title.
'I'm taking the big one' says Noskova after she battles back from 5 match points down to win Wimbledon...
For most 21-year-olds playing their first Grand Slam final, blowing five match points from a dominant position would feel impossible to come back from.
But Linda Noskova showed different resolve, shaking off the mental lapse to regroup and beat fellow Czech and friend Karolina Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 in the Wimbledon final.
At 5-2 up in the second set, the ninth seed looked minutes away from lifting the Venus Rosewater Dish on a sunny Centre Court and joining the list of Czech Wimbledon champions.
Instead, she let three match points slip — one as Muchova served at 2-5, another with a double fault at 5-3 when nerves took over, and a fourth that went begging in the ninth game.
After Muchova won five straight games to force a decider that seemed unlikely, Noskova looked stunned and walked to her chair with her hands over her ears to shut out the crowd.
She left for a comfort break with her title hopes fading, but spotting something shiny on the way to the bathroom was enough to bring her back to life.
“I was just telling myself that the match is starting over. I was in the bathroom. I just splashed some cold water on me, started over again,” she told reporters.
“But what really helped me, like 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. I have been so close. This will probably be the heartbreak of my life.
“I was looking at the big one. I was like, I'm taking this one no matter what. I'm going to leave my soul on court.”
When she came back out, she managed to hold in the opening game of the third set and everything changed. Her timing came back on the groundstrokes, her feet started moving, and at 5-3 - more than an hour after her first chances - she converted her match points and would not be denied.
“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,” said Noskova, the third Czech to win the women's title in four years and the youngest women's champion since compatriot Petra Kvitova won the first of her two titles in 2011.
“I lost five games in a row in the second one, so it was very, very important to start off great.”
With her nose ring and maturity beyond her years, Noskova sees the world well beyond tennis. So it’s no surprise she dealt with a tough moment in Saturday’s final with such composure.
She spoke emotionally about her mother Ivana, who died from cancer two years ago, and has earned praise throughout her career for her grounded approach to life.
Last year during the off-season she went to Zanzibar and volunteered with a charity, working at a local school.
“When I came back, I was definitely more appreciative of everything that I have,” she said earlier this week.
Noskova grew up in a village in a Czech forest, has spoken out about environmental issues, and already has a plan for her career after tennis.
“I'm very much like a nature lover, I want to do some volunteering with nature in the next months or years. I have always been very active during whatever crisis,” she said after beating Marta Kostyuk in the semi-finals on Thursday.
For now, she just wants to soak in what she’s achieved. “It was all worth it, so I will definitely never forget this week, these two weeks,” she said.
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