Wimbledon and the Czechs: a love story that keeps growing
Wimbledon is back, and with it comes the latest chapter in the story of Czech tennis excellence. From legends of the past to today’s champions, Czechs have left a lasting mark on the All England Club. As the 2025 edition begins, fans have every reason to watch their players closely once again.
Wimbledon—arguably the world’s most prestigious tennis tournament—has returned to London, and Czech players are once again looking to make their mark. With Barbora Krejčíková back to defend her 2024 women’s singles title, the tradition of Czech excellence on grass continues into another year.
“For me, the past period was pretty difficult because I kept getting injured or sick,” Krejčíková said ahead of her title defense. “Just when it looked like I might come back, something else would knock me down. That made it all the more challenging, especially mentally.”
Despite setbacks, the 29-year-old has embraced a fresh mindset: “The break actually helped me. It was long and hard, but I did get some real rest. And now I feel more hungry to compete again.”
Czech tennis has deep roots at Wimbledon. In 1973, Jan Kodeš became the first to win the singles title under the Czechoslovak flag. Decades earlier, Jaroslav Drobný reached the finals in 1949. But the story stretches beyond mere results—it’s also about how Czech tennis navigated politics to stay connected with the international game.
“I remember a key turning point that happened at a meeting of socialist countries in East Berlin,” Kodeš recalled. “Most of the socialist states agreed not to support tennis. But the chairman of our sports union, Antonín Himl, stood up and said: ‘Czechoslovakia is a special case. We have a tennis tradition, and we will continue to support tennis.’”
This decision set Czech players apart from others in the Eastern Bloc, allowing talents like Kodeš, Hana Mandlíková, and later Petra Kvitová to build international careers. And perhaps no one symbolizes the blend of Czech origin and global stardom more than Martina Navrátilová.
She famously defected from Communist Czechoslovakia in 1975 and went on to win Wimbledon nine times as a U.S. citizen—a record that still stands.
Recalling her first title in 1978, Navrátilová said: “You’re up 30–love, then 40–love, and it’s like, oh my God, I can really do this. Then the heart started pounding like I never felt it before. It was amazing. It was frightening. I thought my heart was just going to come out of my body.”
From Ivan Lendl’s finals in the 1980s to the doubles dominance of Kateřina Siniaková and Barbora Strýcová, Czech names continue to resonate across Wimbledon’s iconic lawns. And with new talent rising and veterans returning, the Czech love story with Wimbledon is far from over.
Czech Success at Wimbledon
First Czech finalist: Jaroslav Drobný (1949, runner-up under Czechoslovakia)
First Czech singles champion: Jan Kodeš (1973, men’s singles)
Most Wimbledon titles by a Czech-born player:
Martina Navrátilová – 9 women's singles titles (representing the USA)
Czech women’s singles champions:
- Jana Novotná (1998)
- Petra Kvitová (2011, 2014)
- Markéta Vondroušová (2023)
- Barbora Krejčíková (2024)
Recent doubles titles:
- Kateřina Siniaková (multiple)
- Barbora Krejčíková (multiple)
- Barbora Strýcová (2023)
Notable men’s finals appearances:
- Ivan Lendl (1986, 1987)
- Tomáš Berdych (2010, runner-up to Rafael Nadal)
