Defending Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova out in emotional third-round exit

THE ALL ENGLAND CLUB, LONDON — There are no former Wimbledon champions left in the women’s draw, after a tearful Barbora Krejčíková followed Elena Rybakina out of the tournament Saturday.

Earlier in the day, Rybakina had lost in straight sets to the No. 23 seed Clara Tauson, before Krejčíková went down 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 to the American No. 10 seed Emma Navarro.

Krejčíková led by a set and a break before succumbing to illness in the third set. The 29-year-old Czech had her blood pressure taken midway through the decider and was given a banana, energy gel and liquids to drink. She could barely move at points and looked vacant, like a boxer who needed the bell to ring but was determined to keep going. After falling down 5-3, Krejčíková closed her eyes and wept as she leant on the netting at the back of the court. She somehow held serve to force Navarro to serve it out.

Krejčíková has been unfortunate with injury and illness for much of the past year. She nearly fainted during a doubles match with Kateřina Siniaková at last year’s Paris Olympics, before a back issue kept her out for six months between November and May. It was little surprise to see her pushed to her limits on No. 1 Court, against one of the most athletic players on the tour. It is also unsurprising that she failed to make the second week, and not because of her own tennis.

Women’s champions have gotten nowhere near defending their title for the past decade. Last year, the 2023 champion Markéta Vondroušová went out in the first round, while in 2023, Rybakina, the 2022 champion, was beaten in the quarterfinals. Serena Williams, who won her seventh and final title in 2016, is the last woman to win it and then subsequently reach a final. That year was also the last time someone successfully defended their title — the seven editions since have featured seven different winners. During that period, the furthest a defending champion has gone is that last-eight run from Rybakina.

It is also the first Wimbledon in the Open Era where there is not a former champion among the top 10 seeds.

Krejčíková may be out, but she deserves a lot of credit for the way she battled in the final set. Navarro, meanwhile, fell into the classic tennis trap of not knowing what to do against an ailing player. Just like Carlos Alcaraz against Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open quarterfinal six months ago, Navarro seemed perplexed by playing an opponent who could barely move one moment but was smacking winners the next.

Eventually, Krejčíková’s battery completely drained and as she arrived late to the ball, the errors started to come. She could not push off on her serve and was broken three times in the decider. Krejčíková’s record of only five break points taken from 18 opportunities also proved to be decisive, where Navarro converted five from six.

Despite being the defending champion, Krejčíková was not a major favourite, and so does not leave a major hole in the draw. Navarro was the higher seed, and will play the No. 7 seed Mirra Andreeva next in a promising last-16 matchup.

This was an unfortunate way for Krejčíková to exit, but the way she battled despite her physical struggles offered a reminder of how she upset the odds to become the Wimbledon champion in the first place.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Tennis, Women’s Tennis

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