Jasmine Paolini and Barbora Krejcikova have never faced each other in a WTA main draw match. This is the Wimbledon 2024 final.
When the 2024 Wimbledon Championships got underway a week ago in London, No. 7 seed Jasmine Paolini and No. 31 Barbora Krejcikova were not even considered dark horses. After her incredible run to the French Open final last month, Paolini was viewed as more of a clay court specialist. In contrast, Krejcikova, a past Roland Garros champion, has had an appalling 2024 season, managing just three wins in her last seven WTA matches, including first-round exits in five of those seven events.
To get to the final, though, they skillfully adjusted to the grass court conditions and played to their advantages. Paolini defeated the powerful Donna Vekic in the semifinals with her quick court movements, and Krejcikova, who reached her first Slam final since winning the French Open in 2021, stopped Elena Rybakina’s deadly serve with pinpoint accuracy.
How did Jasmine Paolini and Barbora Krejcikova reach the Wimbledon 2024 final?
The Italian, who has had a tremendous season, made history on Thursday by becoming the first female player to advance to both the French Open and Wimbledon finals in the same year since Serena Williams in 2016. The 28-year-old had a 0-3 record on grass and had never won a match at the tour level until 2024, when she advanced to the semifinals of the Rothesay International.
After defeating Sara Sorribes Tormo to win her first match at Wimbledon, Paolini went on to triumph over Emma Navarro, Madison Keys, Greet Minnen, and Vekic to go to her second consecutive Slam final. Krejcikova, 28, who also had trouble on this surface, overcame Veronika Kudermetova in a difficult opening round, winning 7-6(4), 6-7(1), 7-5. She then defeated Katie Volynets, Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, No. 11 Danielle Collins, and No. 14 Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets. In the semifinals, Krejcikova defeated Rybakina, the tournament favorite, to advance to her first-ever final of the year.
Head-to-head record
Paolini and Krejcikova are not acquainted with one another from a WTA main draw match. In their lone meeting, which took place in the 2018 Australia Open qualifying tournament, the Czech won in a straight-set match after dropping just three games.
What to expect in Jasmine Paolini vs Barbora Krejcikova final?
In the past 50 years, no woman outside the top 5 has advanced to the Wimbledon and Roland Garros finals in the same year. Paolini was put down twice and broke in the third game, but she was able to get back up because to her tenacity. In the end, she will most likely put her trust in that. However, Krejcikova is a formidable opponent in the corporate world. The Czech has won six of her nine finals since the 2021 French Open began. Her serve once more and her deadly backhand slice will be crucial in the championship match.
