THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 11, 2026

Linda Noskova

Press Conference

L. NOSKOVA/K. Muchova

6-2, 5-7, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the press conference for Wimbledon Ladies Champion Linda Noskova.

Linda, has it sunk in yet?

LINDA NOSKOVA: No, it hasn't. I feel like it has been only a couple of minutes since I walked off court.

It is definitely something that I'm going to remember forever, but it will definitely take me a few days to realize it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. When you were having those championship points, and Karolina kept repelling them, what was going on in your mind? Were you panicking? Were you calm?

LINDA NOSKOVA: In the second set, it was very tough for me. My hand kind of froze at certain moments. My feet were not as quick as they had been before.

I will focus on the positives (smiling). On the last match point, I didn't even realize that I had a match point. I kept going. That's what really won it for me, that I didn't exactly put it into my head.

Q. On that match point, what were the feelings and emotions when you realized you had won it?

LINDA NOSKOVA: It just kind of relaxed me. It kind of got off of me, just the stress, the nonstop thinking if I'm going to win this or that. It's 5-3, what if I'm not going to hold my serve.

It was just those not-so-easy moments. But I'm so glad I did it on my first try in the third set.

Q. When you went off court after the second set, how did you regroup? What were you telling yourself? It was an impressive reset that you were able to do.

LINDA NOSKOVA: Yeah, I was just telling myself that the match is starting over. I was in the bathroom. I just splashed some cold water on me, started over again.

But what really helped me, like the first step I took off court, the trophies were there. I was like, I'm not going to take the small one, I'm taking the big one. I have been so close. This will probably be the heartbreak of my life.

I started over. I would say that maybe the key point was the first game that I held my serve. Yeah, those key points.

Q. One of the broadcasters said you actually went off and you were staring at the trophies. Did that help your mindset?

LINDA NOSKOVA: Yeah, no, I was looking at the big one. I was like, I'm taking this one no matter what. If I'm going to leave my soul on court in the third set, whatever that be.

I just kind of started to focus on myself all over again, which was the key point.

Q. How important was that first game of the third set to reset your mind? You were down break points in that game. Seemed like a lot of momentum was going against you. How bad would it have been if you had lost that game?

LINDA NOSKOVA: Yeah, let's say I'm brave enough to say that the third set would not have been the same if maybe I would have lost the first game. I lost five games in a row in the second one, so it was very, very important to start off great, in a good way, the third one.

Karolina had some chances on my serve in that first game. I'm glad that I kind of kept my cool and played somehow like in the first set, let's say.

Q. The stadium erupted after the second set. You did a gesture with your hands on your head. I didn't quite understand. Can you explain us?

LINDA NOSKOVA: Well, the crowd was so loud, and it was after the games that I have lost, so I was just trying to be with myself for a little time. I have thrown a towel over my head after some break that I lost or something like that.

Something that my coach told me last night, he was like, If you need a moment, take it, get out of the court or just be with yourself for a moment.

I feel like those moments, I don't know if they helped me or not, but it was just definitely to keep myself away from all the noise.

Q. What does it say about you that you were able to win this match and also come back from the French Open, which you described as a disaster, and the play as you have done these past few weeks?

LINDA NOSKOVA: It means a lot. It definitely means that if I focus on myself, if I enjoy my time on court, if I know that I can win, if I want to just keep head down, if I want to go from point to point, I can win such a tournament.

Yeah, I feel like with my tennis, I never know what to expect (smiling). I felt good on court throughout these two weeks and a couple of weeks ago. So it showed.

Q. We all remember the second part of that match. The first part was also really impressive. Your first Grand Slam final. Can you explain how you went out on this court and played your best tennis right out of the bat?

LINDA NOSKOVA: I don't know how I did that either. I tried to copy the feelings that I had in previous rounds. I was not exactly nervous before any of the matches, so I tried to do all my routines, all the things that worked before.

But today was a lot different. I have been in a few finals. A final is a final. No matter what you do, there's always the pressure. You always want to keep your cool, be okay, be like nothing is happening. But deep inside of you you know it's very important.

I was going the way that I wanted almost 99% of the match. But then those key moments that I kind of froze kind of got me into the third set. But, yeah, like I said, it was the most important side of my life probably that I won.

Q. I've heard some people say it's harder to play a good friend in a match. Some have said it's easier because it's a familiar sort of feeling. How was it for you? How did you feel about seeing Karolina at the end, at 29, not get that title?

LINDA NOSKOVA: For me, it's never easy to play a friend. I've made a few friends on tour. Whenever we play each other, it's never easy. This time I kind of wanted to keep the distance, I guess. We just waved hi at each other and that was all before the match.

I feel like that helped me a lot throughout almost the whole match. I know Karolina's game. She's a tricky player to play on any surface. I had to keep being focused.

I don't think that the fact that we are friends, we still are friends - hopefully (smiling) - didn't help me in some moments or something like that.

Q. I'm sure you would have liked to have won 6-2, 6-2.

LINDA NOSKOVA: Absolutely (smiling).

Q. But the fact that you won it the way you did it, is that almost more satisfying, to go through the difficult moments and come out the other side?

LINDA NOSKOVA: I don't know. I feel like if I would have saved the spectators, my team or myself the stress and all the heart-stopping moments, I would say that that would be better.

Just winning it this way, really having to fight for it, having all these ups and downs, it matters a lot, but I do have to learn a lot from this match, definitely.

Q. It's interesting you mentioned that you talked to your coach about if you need to take a moment, just do that. How much thought did you have before a match like this, or just in general, about what you would do if things do start to fall apart. You can't prepare for missing five championship points at Wimbledon. Is that something you think about a lot, how to reset?

LINDA NOSKOVA: This moment or this situation, that I would be up four or five match points, having to start another set all over, this was not in the scenario that we had discussed.

I don't think anyone could prepare me for that. It was just me, myself, and I on the court. I was just telling myself, If you're going to lose this, it's your loss. If you're going to win it, it's your win.

I focused open a lot of things during those match points. I was like, Yeah, it's finally here, you can just put it back in the court and it will be fine.

Karolina, she's such a competitor, you can never really be 100% done. But my coach helped me, not only yesterday with our talk, but throughout these six, seven years that we have been together. I felt the support of my team. I feel like all these things collided helped me a lot.