Key events<\/p>\n
First set: Muchova* 2-5 Noskova (* denotes next server)<\/p>\n
A vicious slice serve takes Noskova to 15-0. But her second double fault of the day cancels it out. But two backhand errors from Muchova \u2013 one forced, one unforced, and Noskova has game point. And she takes it with another ace; this one far more punchy than the one that opened the game. McEnroe is now pondering whether all the injuries the 29-year-old Muchova has had in her career, and the thought she may not have many more opportunities to win a slam, is going through her mind and weighing her down. Muchova must now hold to stay in the first set \u2013 but the good news is she does have new balls.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n First set: Muchova 2-4 Noskova* (* denotes next server)<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know if it\u2019s fatigue from the Coco match, or if it\u2019s just nerves, but it\u2019s been a slow start from Muchova. She needs to make a change and get the energy up,\u201d says John McEnroe on the BBC commentary. \u201cAt least they\u2019re both on the board after what happened 12 months ago \u2026\u201d offers Sam Smith, more optimistically. Whether it\u2019s fatigue or nerves, it\u2019s hard to say, maybe it\u2019s a combination of both. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s injury, because despite clearly being in pain during the match tie-break against Gauff, Muchova said afterwards it was just a stitch. And Muchova makes it two games more than Anisimova won last year, as she holds to 15, showing off all of that wonderful variety she has in her game.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n First set: Muchova* 1-4 Noskova (* denotes next server)<\/p>\n Noskova revealed after her semi-final a list of superstitions so long it would rival peak Rafa \u2013 \u201cthe same routines in the morning, the same lunch, the same bathroom, the same sink, the same everything\u201d \u2013 though thankfully she hasn\u2019t adopted his range of ticks and tricks before serving, as she speedily advances to 40-15. She really has started where she finished off against Kostyuk, where she looked in control of her emotions and scoreboard throughout on her Centre Court debut. But suddenly it\u2019s deuce. Gah! Call that the commentator\u2019s curse. Noskova doesn\u2019t panic, though, and after a superb point at her advantage, she eventually prevails.<\/p>\n Linda Noskova concentrates on a forehand. Photograph: Tolga Akmen\/EPAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.35 EDT<\/p>\n First set: Muchova 1-3 Noskova* (* denotes next server)<\/p>\n At 15-all, Muchova overcooks a forehand. Perhaps because of the heat \u2013 the balls will certainly be flying off the racket a bit faster. It\u2019s the first time more than one point has been conceded in a service game in this final \u2026 and it\u2019s soon three when Muchova hits beyond the baseline again. Muchova picks the perfect time to send down a first ace on the first break point \u2026 but Noskova returns Muchova\u2019s serve with interest on the second BP, the 21-year-old is in control of the point \u2026 and she breaks with a backhand winner! It\u2019s first blood to the younger Czech.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n First set: Muchova* 1-2 Noskova (* denotes next server)<\/p>\n Noskova\u2019s serve is one of her biggest weapons \u2013 she faced only one break point in her semi-final against Marta Kostyuk, who\u2019s been on a career-best run this summer (even Kostyuk gave Noskova a 9.5\/10 for her serving performance) \u2013 and Noskova underlines why it\u2019s so strong here, serving her way to 15-0, 30-0, 40-0, game. Back to you, Karolina \u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n First set: Muchova 1-1 Noskova* (* denotes next server)<\/p>\n Muchova, with her headband and baggy, 1990s-style polo shirt evoking memories of her former coach, the late, great Jana Novotna, drills away her first winner for 30-15. That\u2019ll shake off a few of the nerves. She then reacts quickly to Noskova\u2019s shot clipping the tape, and a crafty backhand slice cuts Noskova into pieces. Already Muchova is displaying the canny combination of power and touch that she has in her game. And, like Noskova, she holds from there.<\/p>\n Novotna, who coached Muchova when she was a junior. Photograph: Rui Vieira\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n First set: Muchova* 0-1 Noskova (* denotes next server)<\/p>\n Ladies and gentlemen, Noskova won the toss and elected to serve, so will get this 132nd Wimbledon<\/a> women\u2019s final under way. The 21-year-old begins her first grand slam final with a netted forehand. Muchova \u2013 playing in her second after losing the 2023 French Open final against Iga Swiatek \u2013 mirrors that netted forehand on the second point. Both look a little tight \u2026 but Noskova is able to control the adrenaline and pumping heart enough to show lovely touch on the third point with a winning drop shot. And from 30-15, Noskova opens with a hold.<\/p>\n Karolina Muchova reaches out for a return. Photograph: Mike Egerton\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.17 EDT<\/p>\n Tik, tok, tik, tok! They\u2019re warming up. Which gives us time to ask: who wins? Um, I\u2019m copping out here, because this really is too close to call. Noskova has the edge on serve and power, and her growing mastery of grass means she\u2019s won more matches on the surface than anyone else in the past two years. Plus she seems to be so fearless. But so was Muchova in that tie-break against Gauff. And Muchova has the greater creativity, variety and all-court game. And experience, having played in the 2023 French Open final. The head-to-head doesn\u2019t give us much of a pointer either: they\u2019ve played each other only once before, in the US Open third round last year, when Muchova came from a set down to win. It really could just come down to who handles the occasion better.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Talking about friends\/rivals (frivals?), I watched the Navratilova and Evert documentary last night, and it\u2019s brilliant. I can\u2019t recommend it enough. I was too young to really appreciate their rivalry, my early tennis memories are of watching Navratilova v Graf, and then Graf v Seles, so it was a joy to watch all the old footage \u2013 and very emotional to see them dealing with their respective cancer diagnoses more recently. As I mentioned, Navratilova is in the Royal Box this afternoon, but sadly Evert isn\u2019t at Wimbledon<\/a> this year as she stays at home for treatment after her ovarian cancer returned.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The pair arrive on court to a warm reception and even hotter conditions \u2013 about 29C \u2013 so for the second successive Wimbledon<\/a> women\u2019s final, it\u2019s a scorcher. Let\u2019s just hope it\u2019s more competitive than Iga Swiatek\u2019s 6-0, 6-0 destruction of Amanda Anisimova 12 months ago. Judging by how closely matched Muchova and Noskova are, it should be.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Here Muchova and Noskova are, weaving and winding their way through the corridors of the All England Club. It was only two days ago that these two Czech mates practised on Centre Court together before their semi-finals; now here they are, still friends but the biggest of rivals this afternoon, as they both go after a first grand slam title. What a moment.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Taking centre stage in the Royal Box this afternoon is the Princess of Wales \u2013 she\u2019ll be presenting the Venus Rosewater Dish to the winner too. Navratilova and Kvitova are also there, watching over the two Czechs.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.01 EDT<\/p>\n Stat attack<\/p>\n The last time two women from the same country met in the Wimbledon<\/a> final was in 2009, when Serena defeated Venus Williams.<\/p>\n A third Czech women\u2019s Wimbledon winner in four years is guaranteed. It\u2019ll be the ninth successive year there\u2019s a first-time champion.<\/p>\n Noskova, at 21, is the youngest Wimbledon women\u2019s finalist since Eugenie Bouchard in 2014.<\/p>\n And Muchova or Noskova will become only the third player after Venus (in 2005) and Serena (2009) to win the title after saving a match point along the way.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The Czech-born Wimbledon<\/a> champions:<\/p>\n Navratilova 1978-79, 1982-87 and 1990. Photograph: Georges De Keerle\/Getty ImagesNovotna 1998. Photograph: Neil Munns\/PAKvitova 2011 and 2014. Photograph: Tom Jenkins\/The GuardianVondrousova 2023. Photograph: John Walton\/PAKrejcikova 2024. Photograph: Neil Hall\/EPAShare<\/a><\/p>\n So why is the Czech Republic, a country of only 11 million people, punching above its weight on grass? Well, of course it all started with Martina Navratilova, the most famous Czech-born player of all, and despite her defection to the US in 1975, before she won her nine Wimbledon<\/a> singles titles, she still inspired Hana Mandlikova, Helena Sukova and Jana Novotna \u2026 who were then followed by Petra Kvitova, Karolina Pliskova, Barbora Krejcikova and Marketa Vondrousova \u2026 and now Muchova and Noskova. Success breeds success.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a great history of Czech tennis,\u201d Muchova said after her semi-final. \u201cDefinitely the fact there is so many of us. When I was younger, looking up to the girls who were maybe five years older than I was, you can just see them doing so well. It gave me the belief that I can as well do it. That\u2019s how it worked for me. It\u2019s nice that we\u2019re from such a small country and we have so many good players.\u201d<\/p>\n Muchova was also encouraged to play a wide range of sports when she was growing up, as was Noskova, which perhaps also helped their development, not specialising too soon. Plus the fact that Czech tennis coaches also encourage another sense of variety; playing not only with power but also touch and intelligence, which is such a lethal combination on the grass. And there are so many clubs in the country too.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are all kind of brought up in the same way, in our game styles,\u201d Noskova said. \u201cWe are very creative, I would say, so grass allows us to use any side of tennis, if it\u2019s serve and volley back in the old days, if it\u2019s slices and volleys in this new era. I would say that we have all these sides that we can use, that grass allows us, and it\u2019s showing.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Muchova Noskova Share<\/a><\/p>\n Road to the final. Muchova has a strange record at Wimbledon<\/a>, having reached the quarter-finals in 2019 and 2021, before losing in the first round in each of the past four years, but she didn\u2019t drop a set this fortnight until the fourth round, when she defeated her fellow Czech and the 2024 champion, Barbora Krejcikova. She was flawless against Naomi Osaka (who\u2019d been flawless against Aryna Sabalenka) in the quarters and nerveless against Coco Gauff, perhaps the most clutch player in the women\u2019s game, in the semis, when she saved a match point. Noskova has also come within a point of defeat, escaping against Sorana Cirsta in the third round, but she hasn\u2019t conceded a set since, knocking out last year\u2019s Australian Open champion Madison Keys and the in-form Marta Kostyuk, one of the hottest players on tour this summer.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.39 EDT<\/p>\n Tale of the tape<\/p>\n Muchova – Noskova Share<\/a><\/p>\n And the Press Association\u2019s report on the doubles double for Patten and Heliovaara:<\/p>\n double quotation markBritain\u2019s Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara won the Wimbledon men\u2019s doubles title with a 7-6 (7\/4), 7-6 (7\/3) victory over Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic in Saturday\u2019s final.<\/p>\n Top seeded Patten and Heliovaara have now won three Grand Slam doubles titles together, having previously triumphed at Wimbledon in 2024 and the Australian Open last year.<\/p>\n Patten and Finland\u2019s Heliovaara are the 11th team in the Open era to win multiple Wimbledon men\u2019s doubles titles and the first since Bob and Mike Bryan won their second at the All England Club in 2011.<\/p>\n Arevalo, from El Salvador, won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title with Latvia\u2019s Jelena Ostapenko on Thursday.<\/p>\n Patten and Heliovaara had done things the hard way en route to the final, contesting final-set tie-breaks in three of their five matches.<\/p>\n They had won six of the seven tie-breaks they were involved in prior to the final.<\/p>\n Once again, that nerveless ability to conquer the tie-break pressure proved decisive.<\/p>\n Avenging their loss to the same opponents in the Queen\u2019s Club final in June, Heliovaara celebrated with a flamboyant forward roll on Centre Court, while Patten lay flat on his back to soak up the moment.<\/p>\n \u201cI owe Harri my career, when we started out he took a chance on me,\u201d Patten said.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Speaking of which \u2026 here\u2019s Simon Cambers\u2019s preview of the women\u2019s final:<\/p>\n double quotation markIt feels somehow fitting that at the end of one of the most open women\u2019s singles events in history, two Czech players should find themselves fighting it out for the biggest title in the game. Saturday\u2019s clash between Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova is the first all-Czech Wimbledon<\/a> final, but it is also the latest example of a long line of Czech players who have found grass the surface on which to show their best.<\/p>\n Martina Navratilova, perhaps the greatest female player of all time, started the ball rolling when she won the first of her record nine Wimbledon titles in 1978 (she was officially a US citizen by the time she played Hana Mandlikova in the 1986 final).<\/p>\n Jana Novotna won in 1998, Petra Kvitova triumphed twice, in 2011 and 2014, and with Marketa Vondrousova winning in 2023 and Barbora Krejcikova following up in 2024, it means that whoever wins on Saturday will provide Czechia with a third Wimbledon champion in four years and sixth of the open era.<\/p>\n It is a remarkable achievement, a conveyor belt of talent that must be the envy of the rest of the world. Muchova will be appearing in her second grand slam final, having lost to Iga Swiatek at Roland Garros in 2023<\/a> while the 21-year-old Noskova, eight years younger and seeded one spot higher at No 9, is appearing in her first.<\/p>\n Both women won grass-court titles in the run-up to Wimbledon.<\/p>\n In terms of experience, Muchova has a clear edge and a game that would seem perfect for grass, even if her record at Wimbledon has been somewhat odd.<\/p>\n She reached the quarter-finals in her first two appearances but has lost in the first round in each of the last four years. Injuries, confidence and occasionally someone playing out of her skin were all contributing factors, but she has everything: a good serve, fine athleticism, power, a great slice and variety.<\/p>\n You can read the rest here:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Meanwhile Jana Kovackova and Katerina Zajickova have won the girls\u2019 doubles title \u2026 as if the Czechs don\u2019t already have enough talent \u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n There was also victory for Britain\u2019s Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid earlier in the men\u2019s wheelchair doubles final, as the top seeds came from a set down to beat Argentina\u2019s Gustavo Fernandez and Japan\u2019s Tokito Oda 2-6, 6-1, 6-2. It\u2019s their seventh Wimbledon<\/a> doubles title together. Hewett \u2013 and Oda \u2013 will be back tomorrow to contest the singles final.<\/p>\n Alfie Hewittcelebrates matchpoint by kissing the forehead of his partner Gordon Reid. Photograph: Tom Jenkins\/The GuardianShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.34 EDT<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI think this is a fantastic example of the joy doubles can bring,\u201d continues Patten, referencing the ATP\u2019s plans to reduce doubles draws and cut prize money. \u201cI believe we should be growing opportunities in tennis for kids, whether they\u2019re doubles players, singles players, from the UK, Finland, Croatia, El Salvador \u2026 we should be growing the sport, not taking opportunities away.\u201d He then reveals his fiancee isn\u2019t in the stands, because she\u2019s a doctor and has been on call all week. \u201cI hit a yellow tennis ball and she saves lives. I\u2019m so proud of her for what she does, she works way harder than me.\u201d He shouldn\u2019t be doing himself down too much, though. The Wimbledon<\/a> title in 2024, the Australian Open in 2025 and now Wimbledon again in 2026. What a team Patten and Heliovaara are.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.21 EDT<\/p>\n Heliovaara is in tears; Patten just can\u2019t stop smiling. And now it\u2019s time to collect the trophy. Gone are the days when the doubles champions would have to trudge up into the Royal Box, as the All England Club chair, Debbie Jevans, presents the trophy to the duo on court.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s unbelievable, doing it twice,\u201d says Heliovaara. \u201cI want to thank Henry for being the best partner in the world.\u201d Patten quips: \u201cI owe Harri my career. When I started with Harri, he took a chance on me \u2026 and it turned out to be the best decision he ever made.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Britain’s Patten and Finland’s Heliovaara win men’s doubles title!<\/p>\n Currently on Centre Court, Britain\u2019s Henry Patten and Finland\u2019s Harri Heliovaara are celebrating wildly, with Heliovaara even pulling off a forward roll, having just reclaimed the title they first won two years ago, defeating El Salvador\u2019s Marcelo Arevalo and Croatia\u2019s Mate Pavic in two tight sets, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3)! A terrific performance in the tie-breaks. So the recent British domination in the men\u2019s doubles continues: it\u2019s the fourth year in a row there\u2019s been at least one home name on the trophy, after Neal Skupski won in 2023 and Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool in 2025.<\/p>\n Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara with their silverware. Photograph: Tom Jenkins\/The GuardianShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.27 EDT<\/p>\n Preamble<\/p>\n Tennis whites. Strawberries and cream. The Queue. Roger Federer. Czech women\u2019s singles champions. Some things are so synonymous with Wimbledon<\/a> that it should come as no real shock that Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova have made it this far, even though both are appearing in their first Wimbledon final, as they seek to join the long line of Czech-born champions in Navratilova, Novotna, Kvitova, Vondrousova and Krejcikova. Perhaps the only surprise, given how dominant their country is on grass, is that it\u2019s taken this long to see an all-Czech final here.<\/p>\n These two Czech mates share more than the same nationality. They\u2019re friends too, teaming up for the doubles at the 2024 Olympics and practising together on Centre Court before their semi-finals on Thursday, when Muchova came from match point down in that extraordinary final-set tie-break against Coco Gauff<\/a> and Noskova nervelessly defeated the in-form Marta Kostyuk in straight sets<\/a>. For both those were their 11th victories in 12 matches on grass this summer, with Muchova taking the Bad Homburg title and Noskova winning in Berlin last month; they really do have momentum to burn in this Wimbledon heatwave.<\/p>\n But there are differences between them as well, in seniority and style. This is Muchova\u2019s second grand slam final, having lost to Iga Swiatek at the 2023 French Open, before a serious wrist injury stalled her progress. At 29, she knows she may never get a better opportunity, while for Noskova, who\u2019s eight years younger, seeded one place higher at No 9 and had never previously been beyond a major quarter-final, this could be the start of something special. And while Noskova\u2019s game has variety and she isn\u2019t afraid to come to the net (in true Czech style), Muchova\u2019s mix of power and touch, of spin and slice and speed, is so masterful she\u2019s often been compared to Federer.<\/p>\n A Czech player who plays like Federer winning the title? Well, it couldn\u2019t get any more Wimbledon than that.<\/p>\n Play begins: at 4pm BST (so for the second successive year it\u2019s a later start). And remember you can get in touch in the usual way<\/a>. It would be great to hear from you.<\/p>\n Allow Instagram content?<\/p>\n This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click ‘Allow and continue’.<\/p>\n
1R def Anastasia Zakharova 6-3, 6-2
2R def Zhang Shuai 6-3, 6-2
3R def Mananchaya Sawangkaew 6-2, 7-6
4R def Barbora Krejcikova 7-5, 5-7, 6-3
QF def Naomi Osaka (14) 7-6, 6-4
SF def Coco Gauff (7) 6-2, 1-6, 7-6<\/p>\n
1R def Ella Seidel 6-4, 6-3
2R def Camila Osorio 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
3R def Sorana Cirstea (17) 2-6, 6-3, 7-6
4R def Madison Keys (26) 6-4, 7-6
QF def Elise Mertens (25) 6-3, 7-5
SF def Marta Kostyuk (12) 6-4, 6-4<\/p>\n
29 Age 21
10 Seeding 9
9 World ranking 12
0 Grand slam titles 0
1 Grand slam finals (before today) 0
3 Singles titles 2
0 Previous Wimbledon<\/a> finals 0
1 Head-to-head 0<\/p>\n