Barbora Krejcikova said winning Wimbledon marks the best day of her life as she celebrated an unexpected triumph. (More Tennis News)
The Czech earned her maiden title at All England Club with a hard-fought 6-2 2-6 6-4 victory over Jasmine Paolini in Saturday's final.
It brought up Krejcikova's second grand slam title, after the 2021 French Open, making her the seventh player to win their first women's singles finals at both tournaments.
Having pulled off three major shocks to get to the final, knocking out Danielle Collins, Jelena Ostapenko, and Elena Rybakina, Krejcikova appeared stunned when she finally got her hands on the trophy.
"I don't have any words right now, it's just unbelievable. It's definitely the best day of my tennis career and also the best day of my life," Krejcikova said.
"It's super difficult to explain what I'm feeling right now. I would like to congratulate Jasmine and her team. She had a great two weeks, it was a great final, and we were fighting for every point.
"I think nobody believes that I got to the final and nobody believes that I won Wimbledon. I still can't believe it.
"I didn't really have a good beginning to the season. It's unbelievable I'm stood here now, and I've won Wimbledon. I have no idea [how it happened]."
Following her win over Rybakina in the semi-final, Krejcikova paid tribute to Jana Novotna, who passed away in 2017 from ovarian cancer at the age of 49.
She first met the 1998 Wimbledon winner 10 years ago, and has now emulated her former mentor's achievements.
"I think that day, knocking on her door, it changed my life," an emotional Krejcikova added. "Because in that period when I finished the juniors, I didn’t know what to do – should I continue playing pro or go into education?
"She was the one who told me I had the potential, and I should definitely turn pro. Before she passed away, she told me I can win a slam.
"I achieved that in Paris in 2021 – it was an unbelievable moment for me, and I never really dreamed I would win the same trophy as Jana did in 1998."
