Wimbledon 2024: Jasmine Paolini takes on Barbora Krejčíková in women’s final with both players already breaking new ground
Both competitors have capitalized on a draw that has seen high-seeded players such as Iga Świątek, Coco Gauff and reigning champion Markéta Vondroušová suffer earlier than expected losses, while world No. 3 Aryna Sabalenka withdrew before the tournament began.
Paolini has already made history by becoming the first Italian woman to make the Wimbledon final and is seeking her maiden grand slam title after falling short in the French Open final last month.
Krejčíková, a former Roland Garros champion and world No. 2, is looking to claim her second major title as she continues to rebound in a year where she has dealt with injuries and losing streaks.
How to watch
The final is set to begin at 9 a.m. E.T on Saturday, July 13, and will take place on Wimbledon’s famous Centre Court.
Fans can catch all the action on ESPN, as well as on ESPN.com and ESPN+.
Paolini poised for glory
It has been a remarkable year for Paolini.
The Italian began the year ranked 29th in the world, her first appearance inside the top 30 since making her WTA main Tour debut in 2017.
At 28 years old, Paolini has had to wait for singles success on the biggest stage while watching her peers compete in grand slam finals in their early 20s or even as teenagers.
After reaching the fourth round at the Australian Open in January, the real breakthrough for her came at the Dubai Championships in February, where she defeated Anna Kalinskaya to win her first WTA 1000 title. She catapulted up to world No. 14 and hasn’t looked back since.
Paolini recently went on a surprise run to the French Open final, upsetting former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the quarterfinals and defeating 17-year-old rising star Mirra Andreeva in the semis. She was eventually beaten by the dominant Świątek, but her unexpected run to the final put the tennis world on notice.
Coming into Wimbledon as the seventh seed this year, Paolini had never won a match on the lawns of SW19. She had not even picked up a victory in qualifying previously. It would be easy to dismiss her journey to the Roland Garros final as a one-off, given that she had never been past the second round of any grand slam in her entire career prior to this year’s Australian Open.
Wins over the likes of Bianca Andreescu, Madison Keys and Emma Navarro proved that her success in the slams this year was not down to luck. She defeated Donna Vekić in the semifinals in a near three-hour classic on Thursday.
Her meteoric rise to the WTA Top 10 and making back-to-back major finals were certainly unexpected, but Paolini has earned her chance to compete for the most prestigious title in the sport on a court she described after the semifinal against Vekić as “the best place to play a match like this.”
“This last month has been crazy for me,” she said. “I’m trying just to focus on what I have to do on the court, enjoy what I’m doing because I love playing tennis. It’s amazing to be here playing in this stadium. It’s a dream. I was watching Wimbledon finals when I was kid, so I’m enjoying it and just living in the present.”
Krejčíková’s time?
Krejčíková has also already achieved a career best Wimbledon result this year, having never previously been beyond the fourth round of the tournament.
The Czech star is no stranger to winning on the WTA Tour and holds seven titles, the biggest of which being her 2021 French Open victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. She has been in and around the top 10 for three years now, though a tough first part of the season caused her ranking to tumble to No. 32.
After an impressive run to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, she missed the ‘Sunshine Swing’ at Indian Wells and Miami due to injury before enduring three straight first-round losses between April and May.
Wimbledon has seen her rediscover the kind of form that saw reach the lofty heights of world No. 2 in 2021. She defeated 11th seed Danielle Collins, who has been in red-hot form this year, in the fourth round before taking down Jeļena Ostapenko in the quarterfinals and upsetting Rybakina in a dramatic comeback victory in the semifinals.
Krejčíková was visibly emotional during her on-court interview after the match when she was asked about her late former coach and mentor Jana Novotná, pausing to wipe away tears. A three-time finalist at the All-England Club, Novotná won the Wimbledon title in 1998 and passed away from cancer in 2017.
“I just miss her very much, I miss her so much,” said Krejčíková. “Definitely, I remember thinking about Jana a lot. I have so many beautiful memories and, when I step on the court here, I am fighting for every ball and I am sure that is what she would want me to do.
“A couple of years ago I was working with Jana. I mean I was so far when we had this talk and now I am here. Wow, I am in a final!”
After reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, Krejčíková could potentially win her second major title in tennis by claiming victory in the final. To prepare for the challenge, she might find it helpful to practice her serves and footwork on a local tennis court, incorporating some drills focused on improving her agility and accuracy.
As Paolini prepares for the final, she might consider watching some footage of past champions to gain inspiration and study their technique. Perhaps she could engage in a friendly match of tennis with a training partner to keep her skills sharp before taking the court against Krejčíková, ensuring that she remains focused and confident as she looks to bring home the title.
