Newly-crowned French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova hailed her mentor and former Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna who died in 2017, saying: “At the end of her life, I had to be there.”
Krejcikova defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 in Saturday’s final at the conclusion of only her fifth appearance in a Grand Slam singles main draw.
After the final, the 25-year-old said she owed her success to Novotna who lost her battle with cancer at the age of just 49.
“When I was 18, I actually finished juniors, I didn’t really know what to do. I went to her house with my parents. She was always very nice. We just had a really special bond,” recalled Krejcikova.
“When I found out that she was sick, and when I found out it’s not going to end up really well, I just felt like she was giving me so much of her experience, so much of her power, of her attitude.
“She taught me so many things that I just felt at the end of her life I have to be there. I just have to…