Road to the WTA Finals: Krejcikova's Wimbledon victory sparks a new chapter

As one of the cleanest ball-strikers on the Hologic WTA Tour, Barbora Krejcikova's timing has always been a marvel. But in 2024, the 28-year-old Czech took her precision to another level.

Over the first six months of the season, Krejcikova managed to win just seven matches, four of which came at the Australian Open in January. Her slump was facilitated by a spate of injuries and illness, which sidelined her in February and March. 

But as the old sporting trope goes, form is temporary, but class is permanent. Winning seven matches over six months? Not ideal. Winning seven matches over two weeks at Wimbledon? The definition of a dream come true.

Road to the WTA Finals: Sabalenka | Swiatek | Gauff | Paolini | Rybakina | Pegula | Zheng | Krejcikova

Meet the top doubles teams heading to Riyadh

That's precisely what Krejcikova did to join Venus Williams (7), Iga Swiatek (5), Naomi Osaka (4), Victoria Azarenka (2), Petra Kvitova (2), Simona Halep (2) and Aryna Sabalenka (2) as the eight active multiple Grand Slam winners. It was a storybook run for Krejcikova, who grew up dreaming about winning Roland Garros, but grew inspired to chase down Wimbledon after being mentored by the late Jana Novotna. 

Adding to Krejcikova's perfectly timed run was the institution of a new qualification rule for the WTA Finals Riyadh presented by PIF. For the first time, a reigning Grand Slam champion who did not finish in the Top 8 in the race would still qualify for the season-ending event so long as they finish in the Top 20. With that, the former World No.2 is headed for her second WTA Finals appearance. 

Could lightning strike twice for the Czech? Since winning Wimbledon, Krejcikova has won only five matches. That's precisely how many wins she needs next week to take home the biggest prize on tour.

Season snapshot:
2024 tour-level win-loss record: 19-14
2024 titles: 1 (Wimbledon)
Previous WTA Finals appearances: 1
Best WTA Finals result: Group Stage, 2021 (0-3 record)

Defining moment: Krejcikova needed over three hours in her first-round match at Wimbledon to scrape past Veronika Kudermetova, but once she got her legs under her, she played nothing but clutch, precise tennis to take the title.

After surviving the first week, Krejcikova knocked off Danielle Collins and Jelena Ostapenko before toppling 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in three sets. In the final, she held her nerve down the stretch to edge Paolini in a riveting three-set contest to keep the Venus Rosewater Dish in the Czech Republic.

Social buzz corner: Krejcikova stayed away from Twitter for the first six months of the season but when she returned in June, she came out firing with a self-deprecating joke about her early season slump.

A month later, there was no need for any more jokes:

Notable stats:

• Krejcikova entered Wimbledon with just seven wins in the first six months of the year. In the Open Era, only Venus Williams in 2000 came into Wimbledon with fewer wins and walked away with the title.
• Krejcikova is one of just two active players to hold titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, joining Simona Halep.
• In singles and doubles, Krejcikova is now 12 for 13 in Grand Slam finals.
• Excluding alternates, No.13 Krejcikova is the first player ranked outside the Hologic WTA Tour's Top 10 to qualify for the WTA Finals since No.11 Vera Zvonareva in 2004
• Krejcikova goes into the WTA Finals with 19 wins on the season, the fewest since Lindsay Davenport's 24 in 2002. 

From the camera roll: Krejcikova capped off her fairytale fortnight by sending a kiss to her mentor, Jana Novotna.

Hot shot: A reminder that Krejcikova has every shot in the book and the brilliance to know when to use them:

Memorable quote: Do you believe in destiny?

"When I finished juniors I didn't know what I should do, if I should continue and play pro or if I should go the way of education. Jana was the one who told me that I had potential and I should definitely turn pro."

"Before she passed away she told me to go and win a Slam. I achieved that in Paris in 2021 and it was an unbelievable moment for me. But I never really dreamed that I would win the same trophy that Jana did in 1998."