All Fortnight here at Wimbledon, Barbora Krejcikova has been a study in strength and self-possession in her recovery from health and form challenges to reach a second Grand Slam singles final.

From the longest match of this year’s ladies’ tournament in the first round – Krejcikova’s win over Veronika Kudermetova required three hours and 14 minutes – to three consecutive wins over higher-ranked opponents, the Czech’s demeanour has been as steely as her rock-solid game.

But with her place in Saturday’s ladies’ singles final secured with a come-from-behind victory over 2022 champion Elena Rybakina, the Czech was overcome by tears. The fighting win had evoked memories of her late coach Jana Novotna, the 1998 Wimbledon ladies’ singles champion.

“I remember thinking about Jana a lot,” said Krejcikova, who worked with her Czech predecessor from 2014 to 2017, the year Novotna died from cancer at age 49.

“I have so many beautiful memories and when I step on the court here, I’m just fighting for every single ball because that’s what I think she would want me to do.”

Krejcikova hails from the same hometown, Brno, as Novotna and as she was making the transition from junior to professional level, the then 18-year-old summoned the courage to visit the Grand Slam-winning Czech and seek her advice.

Their powerful coaching partnership was instantly formed. “We just had a really special bond,” Krejcikova has said.

Novotna’s influence has provided a poignant sub-text to each Grand Slam milestone in Krejcikova’s career.  

In 2018, the Czech claimed the first of two Wimbledon ladies’ doubles titles alongside countrywoman Katerina Sinakova and immediately dedicated the victory to her late coach.

“She really deserves [for us] to think about her in really good spirit, in really good way,” said a considered Krejcikova, acknowledging the 20th anniversary of Novotna’s Wimbledon triumph.

“All those emotions she was going through during her career to win the Grand Slam. I mean, right here, right now, like 20 years after her winning Grand Slam. Only doubles but still, it's perfect … I think she would be really proud.”

The Czech champion was also front of mind as Krejcikova made her Grand Slam singles breakthrough at Roland-Garros in 2021. On celebrating her momentous victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, in only her fifth main draw singles campaign at a Slam, the emotional champion immediately pointed to the sky as a tribute to Novotna. 

“Pretty much her last words to me were to just enjoy and try to win a Grand Slam,” said Krejcikova at the Roland-Garros trophy ceremony before expanding on the time she’d spent with Novotna before her death.

“Jana was really special to me,” she said. “I just felt like she was giving me so much of her experience, so much of her power, of her attitude.”

That spirit has arguably never been stronger than at the All England Club this Fortnight, where Krejcikova has struck winning form after a period in which she battled through illness and a back injury, winning only three matches since reaching the Australian Open quarter-finals in January.

Many parallels exist between the two Czech champions – both enjoyed Grand Slam success in doubles before breaking through in singles; each was ranked world No.1 in doubles and peaked at No.2 in singles – but the spirit they’ve each displayed at Wimbledon could perhaps be the most striking example.

Novotna’s 1998 triumph is one of the game’s most famous redemption stories, with the Czech having earlier let a 4-1 third-set lead slip in the 1993 final against Steffi Graf. The image of her sobbing on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent in the trophy ceremony endured.

Novotna also lost to Martina Hingis in the 1997 final and at last lifted the trophy after victory over Nathalie Tauziat the following year.

They are stories that a young Krejcikova heard many times. And as she aims to join Czech Wimbledon champions of the Open era – Novotna, Petra Kvitova and Marketa Vondrousova each having lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish – the 28-year-old is proud to carry the legacy of her coach.   

“She was telling me a lot of stories about her journeys here and how she was trying to win Wimbledon,” said an almost disbelieving Krejcikova. “I was so far when we had this talk and I mean, now I’m here. Wow, I’m in the finals.”