Centre Court witnessed a match that had spectators on the edge of their seats on Wednesday, as Barbora Krejcikova beat French Open champion and fifth seed Mirra Andreeva 4-6 7-5 6-4. The win came after almost three gruelling hours on court, and afterwards Krejcikova revealed she had dedicated the victory to her young niece, who was stuck at home battling chickenpox while the match played out.
A win dedicated to a sick niece
Krejcikova, who won the Wimbledon women's singles title in 2024, described Centre Court as "the best court in the world." The 30 year old Czech said her little niece, who plays tennis herself and loves the sport, was likely watching from home, along with her nephew. She explained that her niece has chickenpox, which her nephew picked up at kindergarten and then passed on to her. Krejcikova said she hoped her brother had let both children watch the match, and that she wanted her niece to feel proud of her and to draw motivation from the win, both for tennis and for life in general.
Six match points slip away before composure returns
As thrilling as the match was, it was also nerve shredding for Krejcikova. Serving at 5-3 in the deciding set, she missed six match points in a row, and for a moment it looked as though victory might slip through her fingers. But she regained her composure and closed out the match a game later, as Andreeva's emotions got the better of her.
A comeback shaped by injuries and personal setbacks
Since lifting the trophy at the All England Club in 2024, Krejcikova has been plagued by injuries and slipped down the world rankings. This season alone brought first round exits at both the Australian Open and the French Open. Now ranked 38th in the world, Krejcikova said she has been through a great deal with injuries and in her personal life over the last couple of months, and that getting through all the accompanying emotions had been genuinely hard, which made this win feel especially special.
Andreeva's frustration boils over
While Krejcikova celebrated with a beaming smile, 19 year old Andreeva hurled her racquet in frustration and shouted "I quit" towards her team before hurrying off court. The Russian teenager had threatened to throw her racquet several times during the match. Just minutes after the defeat, she broke down in tears during her post match news conference. Asked how long it would take her to recover from the loss, Andreeva said she would "need a couple days," before choking up. After a pause, she added that it would take some time, maybe a couple of days, and that she would then be back practising for the hard court season.
Osaka turns heads with another striking outfit
Fashion has been almost as big a talking point as the tennis at this year's Wimbledon, thanks largely to four time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka. For her opening match, she arrived at the All England Club in an elegant, full length white kimono, entirely white to comply with the tournament's strict dress code. Returning to action on Wednesday, Osaka decided to mix things up, combining a white jacket with a floral pattern and a long train that trailed behind her, fastened at her waist with an obi, the large decorative belt traditionally worn with a kimono. Her walk from the locker room to number two court stopped both spectators and photographers in their tracks.
A little over an hour later, Osaka beat Russia's Anastasia Gasanova 6-3 6-2 to reach the third round, equalling her best ever run at Wimbledon.
Fashion inspired by a trip to Harajuku
The 28 year old former world number one was born in Japan to a Haitian father and a Japanese mother, and grew up mostly in Florida. She said her inspiration can come from almost anywhere. Osaka recalled a trip to Japan, where she visited Harajuku, the Tokyo district famous for its fashion culture, and saw people expressing themselves through clothing. She said the experience was cool and colourful, and that it stuck with her and fed into her own fashion experimentation. Osaka added that she never really has a plan when it comes to clothes, and that she believes it is fine to try something and fail, but she would rather just try it and see how things go.
What lies ahead for Osaka and Sabalenka
Osaka will face Russian born Australian Daria Kasatkina in the third round, with world number one Aryna Sabalenka a potential fourth round opponent.
Sabalenka's sweet moment with a young fan
Sabalenka also advanced to the third round, beating McCartney Kessler 6-1 7-6 (11-9). Moments after wrapping up the win, she stopped on Court One to grab her phone and take a photo with a young girl who had a replica of Sabalenka's own tiger tattoo on her left arm. Sabalenka has said the tattoo is meant to show her aggressive attitude while playing tennis. Speaking to BBC Sport, she said the moment was adorable, that the girl told her she had the same tattoo, and that seeing young kids copy, watch and support her is genuinely inspiring for her.
Sabalenka will next face former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the third round, after the Latvian swept aside Croatia's Antonia Ruzic 6-2 6-0.
