{"success":true,"data":{"id":"829aec4e-d444-40f3-a52d-bcea1b25091d","title":"Linda Noskova motivated by glimpse of Wimbledon trophy during battling win","summary":"Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Not now Yes please US Edition Change Support Now × \"Clear search box\") Custom Search Sort by Relevance Date NewsNews World CupWorld Cup SportsSports CultureCulture LifestyleLifestyle MoneyMon...","content":"## Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent\n\nNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.\n\nNot now Yes please\n\nUS Edition Change\n\nSupport Now\n\n[×](javascript:void(0) \"Clear search box\")\n\nCustom Search\n\nSort by\n\nRelevance\n\nDate\n\n*   News[News](https://www.independent.co.uk/us)\n\n*   World Cup[World Cup](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup)\n\n*   Sports[Sports](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport)\n\n*   Culture[Culture](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment)\n\n*   Lifestyle[Lifestyle](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style)\n\n*   Money[Money](https://www.independent.co.uk/us/money)\n\n*   Travel[Travel](https://www.independent.co.uk/us/travel)\n\n*   Premium[Premium](https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium)\n\nMore\n\nMore\n\n### Thank you for registering\n\nPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in\n\n# Linda Noskova motivated by glimpse of Wimbledon trophy during battling win\n\n## The 21-year-old recovered from losing five match points in the second set to beat fellow Czech Karolina Muchova.\n\n[Eleanor Crooks](https://www.independent.co.uk/author/eleanor-crooks)Saturday 11 July 2026 21:49 BST\n\n*   Copy link  \n*   Bookmark  \n\n## Bookmark popover\n\nRemoved from bookmarks\n\nClose popover\n\nopen image in gallery\n\nLinda Noskova reacts to her Wimbledon victory (John Walton/PA)(PA Wire)\n\n### Your support helps us to tell the story\n\nFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.\n\nAt such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.\n\nThe Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.\n\n**Your support makes all the difference.**\n\n[Linda Noskova](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/linda-noskova) stared at the [Wimbledon](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/wimbledon) trophy and willed herself to believe that it had not slipped through her fingers.\n\nThe 21-year-old put a dramatic second-set collapse behind her to win her first grand slam title in a wild women’s singles final.\n\nThe winner of the all-Czech clash between Noskova and [Karolina Muchova](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/karolina-muchova) was guaranteed to be the third woman from the central European country to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish in the last four years.\n\nLinda Noskova kisses the Venus Rosewater Dish (Adam Davy/PA)(PA Wire)\n\nBut it was another former Czech champion, the late Jana Novotna, that came to mind when Noskova blew a 5-2 lead in the second set and five match points to send the contest to a decider.\n\nNovotna’s tears on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent after she squandered an apparently decisive advantage against Steffi Graf in the 1993 final remains one of Wimbledon’s most famous moments.\n\nUndo\n\nUndo\n\n[](https://uvceed.com/blogs/articles/your-toothbrush-sits-in-a-cloud-of-toilet-aerosol-heres-what-2026-research-confirmed)[Your Toothbrush Sits in a Cloud of Toilet Aerosol. Here's What 2026 Research Confirmed UVCeed | [Sponsored](https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&utm_source=eslmedia-theindependent&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=alternating-thumbnails-stream-1x4:Mid%20Article%20Thumbnails%20II:)[Sponsored](https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&utm_source=eslmedia-theindependent&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=alternating-thumbnails-stream-1x4:Mid%20Article%20Thumbnails%20II:)](https://uvceed.com/blogs/articles/your-toothbrush-sits-in-a-cloud-of-toilet-aerosol-heres-what-2026-research-confirmed \"Your Toothbrush Sits in a Cloud of Toilet Aerosol. Here's What 2026 Research Confirmed\")\n\nUndo\n\n[](https://www2.catfoodexposed.com/cid/701Vo00001jaLQ7IAM)[Top Vet Saddened That Most Senior Cat Owners Ignore This Warning Sign Dr. Marty | [Sponsored](https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&utm_source=eslmedia-theindependent&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=alternating-thumbnails-stream-1x4:Mid%20Article%20Thumbnails%20II:)[Sponsored](https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&utm_source=eslmedia-theindependent&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=alternating-thumbnails-stream-1x4:Mid%20Article%20Thumbnails%20II:)](https://www2.catfoodexposed.com/cid/701Vo00001jaLQ7IAM \"Top Vet Saddened That Most Senior Cat Owners Ignore This Warning Sign\")\n\nUndo\n\nNovotna had to wait until 1998 for her cathartic winning moment but Noskova, playing in her first grand slam final, impressively put the disappointment behind her to claim a 6-2 5-7 6-3 victory.\n\nNoskova had ended the second set with her hands clamped over her ears to drown out the cheers of the crowd for her opponent, but heading off court for a bathroom break helped her reset.\n\n“I was just telling myself that the match is starting over,” she said. “I was in the bathroom. I just splashed some cold water on me, started over again.\n\n“But what really helped me, 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’.\n\n“If I’m going to leave my soul on court in the third set, whatever that be. I just kind of started to focus on myself all over again, which was the key point.”\n\nNoskova is the youngest women’s champion since another Czech, [Petra Kvitova](https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/petra-kvitova) who was watching from the Royal Box, in 2011 and follows in the footsteps of 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova and 2024 winner Barbora Krejcikova.\n\nShe admitted the situation had got to her as the match points came and went across three different games, with Noskova double-faulting on the only chance on her serve.\n\n“My hand kind of froze at certain moments,” she said. “My feet were not as quick as they had been before.”\n\nLinda Noskova sits with a towel over her head (Mike Egerton/PA)(PA Wire)\n\nThe key game in the match turned out to be the opener of the third set, when 29-year-old Muchova, playing in her second grand slam final after losing the French Open decider three years ago, forced three break points bidding for a sixth game in a row.\n\nBut Noskova held on and opened up an immediate lead that this time she did not give up, converting her sixth match point with an unreturnable serve and dropping to the court in delight.\n\nBoth women were emotional in the on-court interviews after receiving their trophies from the Princess of Wales.\n\nNoskova was unable to hold back the tears as she paid tribute to her mother, Ivana, who died from cancer two years ago.\n\nKarolina Muchova ensured the contest went to an unlikely deciding set (Mike Egerton/PA(PA Wire)\n\n“There’s also one more person I would like to thank, which is my mum. I definitely would not be standing here without her so thank you,” said Noskova, blowing a kiss to the sky.\n\nMuchova struggled to begin her interview through her own tears but praised her young compatriot, saying: “It’s really tough to find any words.\n\n“I’ll start with Linda, my ex-friend. I’m kidding, obviously – kind of. You’re so young and this was your first final of a grand slam and the way you handled it and the way you played, it was unbelievable.”\n\nMuchova has struggled with wrist problems since her run to the French Open final and she was left with mixed feelings after making it back to the showpiece.","source_name":"The Independent","source_url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis/linda-noskova-wimbledon-linda-karolina-muchova-petra-kvitova-b3013271.html","url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis/linda-noskova-wimbledon-linda-karolina-muchova-petra-kvitova-b3013271.html","author":"Eleanor Crooks","author_name":"Eleanor Crooks","published_at":"2026-07-11T20:49:47.000Z","publication_date":"2026-07-11T20:49:47.000Z","image_url":"https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/07/11/21/f7dffac682bdf4bbea09425212efdc61Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzgzODg4NDU5-2.85273956.jpg","category":"sport","topic":"sport","tags":[],"political_bias":null,"bias_score":null,"confidence_score":null,"credibility_score":null,"factual_quality":null,"reading_time":6,"word_count":1057,"view_count":0,"breaking":false,"breaking_news":false,"ai_analysis":null,"fact_check_status":"unverified","archive_status":"hot"}}