THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 3, 2026

Barbora Krejcikova

Press Conference

B. KREJCIKOVA/N. Bartunkova

6-3, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Barbora, another nice win this afternoon. Could you just talk us through the match today, please.

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Yeah, I don't know where to start. I mean, the match was obviously difficult. I mean, it's always difficult to play another Czech fellow player.

I think Nikola, she's very young, I think she has great potential. I mean, I practiced with her a couple of times, but today when we played the match, she was playing much faster than what she did during the practices. I mean, we were fighting for every game, and yeah, the match was really, really tough.

THE MODERATOR: Questions English.

Q. Just expanding on that, a bit about your opponent and what impressed you about facing her. Yeah, kind of her potential, what she needs to work on, that sort of thing.

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I mean, I know her for a long period. I mean, I know her since she was 12. So, like, I'm aware, and I think she did huge improvement since then.

I mean, she's a new one on the tour. It's basically, like, I think, just kind of, like, learning what she's doing, how she's playing and everything. So that's tough.

But obviously I think she's having great potential. I think she's very, she has great variety of the shots. She likes to come to the net. She's serving well. I think today she was really pressing me from the returns, so she was playing really, really fast.

I think she's having great potential. Yeah, she's still very young, so she needs to get more experience and play on the tour and get the matches.

Yeah, I mean, I hope she's going to do well in the future.

Q. Do you see similarities between your game and hers or hers and Karolina's being compared a little bit?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I mean, I guess there are some. But, basically, yeah, she serves well, she likes to come to the net. Pretty much what I said already.

Yeah, I think she's also physically very good. She's, I think, very athletic, as well. Yeah, she has a great hand, so she's changing the rhythm, she's going for the slices, for the dropshots.

So I think, as I said, a great variety. I think she just needs matches and she just needs to, yeah, stay on the tour and get mature and stay healthy.

Q. When you're a young girl growing up in the Czech Republic and you're interested in sports and you start playing tennis, is there immediately a lot of discussion about the great Czech women who have come before you? When do you start to hear about them? I mean, I know you have your unique relationship with the former Wimbledon champion here, of course. But in terms of that idea of following in the footpaths of people who have done it before, is that a big thing that people are aware of?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I mean, it's a tough question. It's individual. When I started, when I was young and I started, I started in a little city. And I had no idea about, you know, how many great Czech players we actually had or we are having.

So, I mean, I just basically started because of my brother. That was it. And, I mean, I loved the sport. I was watching on TV, yes, but I wasn't really aware of how many great players we had until I got older and I was practicing in the National Tennis Center. And then I saw all the players, and I figure out how rich we are in the tennis history.

Q. How did it make you feel?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I mean, really proud (smiling). I mean, really proud of the Czech nation and, you know, how small we are, but how many great athletes we have, but not only in tennis but also in other sports.

Q. Did it give you...

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Motivation.

Q. Does it motivate you in any way?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: 100%.

Q. It does?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Yeah.

Q. You have one of the best techniques on tour and one of the best slice.

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Thank you.

Q. Would you say that grass is the best surface to use it? Why do you think only very few players use it?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: Well, I think it's working on the grass, but I also think it's working on different surfaces. I don't know. I mean, just something that I do. That's just how I play.

I mean, I'm not really thinking about it, if it's working or not working. It's just something I do, and I want to play like that. It's something that's very natural for me.

Yeah, and, I mean, I'm obviously happy it's working, yeah.

Q. Your personal opinion about so many player producing all the time the Czech tennis. You spoke about the center where you have been like a kid and saw so many good players. What do you think is the main reason how so many good players and also with good technique but with a good game are coming constantly out of your country?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I think it's a mix of things. It's not just one thing.

Q. Can you say three, maybe?

BARBORA KREJCIKOVA: I mean, I'd say I think we have great coaches. That's, I think, the first thing. I think we have a great system. We have plenty of tournaments every single way. We have team competitions, as well.

We play singles and doubles every weekend, every tournament. I mean, we can play in between each other, like against each other practicing. In the clubs, there are plenty of kids coming up. Group practices.

I don't know. Like, I mean, there are just so many things, and somehow, also I think with the mentality that we have as a nation, somehow we are producing a lot of great, great athletes, yeah.