Martina Navratilova hails Linda Noskova’s Wimbledon win with Eugenie Bouchard

Martina Navratilova has joined Eugenie Bouchard and Czechia’s president Petr Pavel in celebrating Linda Noskova’s breakthrough Wimbledon 2026 title.

What happened at Wimbledon 2026?

On 12 July 2026, ninth seed Linda Noskova crushed Karolina Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 in two hours and 25 minutes to claim her first Grand Slam crown. The 21-year-old Czech became the youngest Wimbledon champion since 2011, ending a 15-year wait for a maiden major. Noskova sealed the win at 18:15 local time on Centre Court, lifting the Venus Rosewater Dish in front of Princess Catherine.

Why it matters for Martina Navratilova

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova was among the first to hail Noskova’s performance. The nine-time Wimbledon winner posted on social media: “Unreal,” echoing Bouchard’s stunned reaction. Bouchard, the 2014 Wimbledon finalist, shared a clip of Noskova’s trophy ceremony with the caption: “A view of our girl from the radio bunker.” The outpouring capped a day when Noskova’s name trended worldwide.

Global praise pours in

Ana Ivanovic, the 2008 French Open champion, congratulated Noskova on Instagram: “Congrats on this huge achievement! First Grand Slam! Amazing!” Czech president Pavel called the final “a fantastic celebration of Czech tennis,” inviting both finalists to Prague Castle. “I bow before you both,” he wrote. Noskova herself posted a selfie minutes after victory, typing: “Give me a couple of hours to realize what happened. It’s 06:07: still not asleep.”

How Noskova turned the match

Noskova raced through the first set, breaking Muchova twice to lead 6-2. The second set swung Muchova’s way when she broke at 5-5 and closed it 7-5. Noskova later revealed she stared at the trophies during the break and told herself: “I’m not taking the small one, I’m taking the big one.” She held serve at 1-1 in the decider, then broke to lead 4-3 and served it out. “The key point was the first game I held my serve,” she said.