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Karolina Muchova brought humor and heartbreak to the same speech after falling agonizingly short in the first all-Czech Wimbledon final. The 10th seed was beaten 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 by compatriot and Paris 2024 Olympic doubles partner Linda Noskova, having saved five championship points in the second set to force a decider before running out of resistance in the third.

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Fighting back tears during the runner-up speech, Muchova opened with a joke at her friend’s expense. “It’s really tough to find any words, but I’ll start with Linda, my ex-friend. I’m kidding, obviously, kind of,” she said during the on-court interview.

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She quickly turned sincere in praising the 21-year-old, who became the youngest Wimbledon champion since Petra Kvitova in 2011.

“You’re so young, and this was your first final of a Grand Slam, and the way you handled it, and the way you played, it was really unbelievable. Beyond this, you are, especially, a very kind person and human being, so congratulations to you and to your team. You deserve it,” she added. 

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The pair had even practised together the morning of Muchova’s dramatic semifinal win over Coco Gauff, a reminder of the closeness behind the friendly jab. For the 29-year-old, it was a second major final defeat after Roland Garros in 2023.

This is a developing story…

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Prem Mehta

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Prem Mehta is a Tennis Journalist at EssentiallySports, contributing athlete-led coverage shaped by firsthand competitive experience. A former tennis player, he picked up the sport at the age of seven after watching Roger Federer compete at Wimbledon, a moment that sparked a long-term commitment to the game. Ranked among the Top 100 players in India in the Under-14 category, Prem brings a grounded understanding of tennis at the grassroots and developmental levels. His sporting background extends beyond the court, having also competed in district-level cricket, giving him exposure to high-performance environments across disciplines. Prem transitioned from playing to writing to remain closely connected to the sport beyond competition. Before joining EssentiallySports, he worked as a Tennis Analyst at Sportskeeda, covering major ATP and WTA events while tracking trends across both Tours. His coverage centres on match analysis, player narratives, and opinion-led pieces that balance data with intuition. With an academic background in psychology and a strong interest in sport psychology, Prem adds contextual depth to moments of pressure and decision-making, offering readers insight into what unfolds between the lines as much as what appears on the scoreboard.

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Aatreyi Sarkar

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