Linda Noskova: “I was taking the Big One”
Linda Noskova revealed she made herself a promise before the deciding set of the Wimbledon final, and she was determined to keep it.
The 21-year-old defeated fellow Czech Karolina Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6- 3 to win her first Grand Slam title, but admitted the turning point came during the break before the third set.
Speaking after the match, Noskova said she looked at the two Wimbledon trophies as she walked off the court and immediately knew which one she wanted to take home.
“What really helped me was the first step I took off court, the trophies were there. I was like, ‘I’m not gonna take home the small one. I’m taking the big one.'”
After letting a 5-2 lead and five championship points slip away in the second set, Noskova refused to let disappointment take over.
“I’ve been so close. This would be probably the heartbreak of my life.”
Instead, she told herself there was only one way the match would end.
“I was looking at the big one and I was like, ‘I’m taking this one no matter what. If I leave my soul on court in the third set.'”
Noskova admitted the pressure was huge as the championship slipped from her grasp in the second set.
“My hand kinda froze at certain moments. My feet weren’t as quick as they were before. I focused on the positives. On the last match point I didn’t even realize I had match point. I just kept going. That’s what won it for me.”
When the final point was over, she said relief replaced the tension.
“It kind of relaxed me. It kind of got off of me: the stress, the nonstop thinking about if I’m gonna win this or that. I’m so glad I did it on my first try in the third set.”
The victory crowned Noskova as the 2026 Wimbledon champion, completing a remarkable fortnight that saw the 21-year-old lift her first Grand Slam trophy and fulfil a dream she had always set her sights on.
