Muchova breaks! Muchova* 2-6, 6-5 Noskova (* denotes next server)

Having lost the past three games, Noskova is ahead at 30-15, but with her confidence and composure now shot to pieces she’s missing balls she wouldn’t have done earlier in this final and it’s quickly 30-all. Muchova’s forehand, meanwhile, is now the most dangerous it’s been. Two more wild shots from Noskova follow and Muchova, from 5-2 down and having withstood five championship points, breaks for 6-5 and will now serve to take this to a decider!

Second set: Muchova 2-6, 5-5 Noskova* (* denotes next server)

Noskova put her fingers in her ears to drown out the sound of the crowd when Muchova broke. She’s ready to receive their acclaim, though, when she moves to 15-30 on Muchova’s serve and then 30-40, a fifth championship point, despite Muchova producing her fastest serve of the tournament for 30-all. And you know what happens, right, in this neverending of second sets? Muchova saves it with a HUGE forehand. Deuce. Advantage Muchova. Deuce. Advantage Muchova. We thought that match tie-break against Gauff in the semi-finals had it all … but this may be even better. AND MUCHOVA HOLDS TO DRAW LEVEL! THIS FINAL IS NOT YET OVER! Noskova has her hands on her hips and looks absolutely stunned.

Muchova breaks! Muchova* 2-6, 4-5 Noskova (* denotes next server)

Now a fourth BP … and Noskova batters down an ace! “That’s insane,” mutters Martina in the Royal Box. And a fifth BP … and another ace! And a sixth BP … it’s not an ace this time, but it may as well be, because Muchova isn’t getting that serve back! Now Noskova coughs up another double for a seventh BP … and NOSKOVA’S FOREHAND SKIDS INTO THE TRAMLINES! SOMEHOW. THEY’RE. STILL. GOING.

15-0, courtesy of a nerveless drive volley. 30-0, as Muchova errs on her return. 30-15, when Noskova nets a tight forehand. 30-all, when Noskova’s forehand misfires once more. Maybe she is feeling the nerves, after all … and Muchova marmalises a forehand to bring up break point! Could we be about to see some drama to match Muchova’s tie-break against Gauff in the semi-finals? Nearly, because Noskova almost (literally) knocks Muchova out, with a ball straight into Muchova’s body, for deuce, and despite a second BP for Muchova, here’s a fourth championship point for Noskova … and Noskova double faults!!! Now Muchova has a third BP … but nothing in this game is remotely straightforward and it’s back to deuce once more …

Second set: Muchova 2-6, 3-5 Noskova* (* denotes next server)

Muchova moves to advantage, so may live to fight another game yet. And she does, when Noskova blazes a backhand into the tramlines! The biggest drama in this match has been saved until last. And now Noskova must put those three missed championship points out of her mind, as she serves for her first grand slam title …

After a Muchova advantage and a fourth deuce, this is the longest game of the final, at the most critical of times. An enthralling game of cat and mouse follows, complete with lobs and smashes and half-volleys and more volleys … and Muchova hits long! A third championship point. Muchova’s first serve is long, she lands her second, Noskova’s shot clips the tape, trickles over … and Muchova makes it forward in time to dispatch the drop shot!

There’s no sign of Noskova blinking so close to the finish line, though, as she gets to 15-all on Muchova’s serve. A lovely drop shot from Muchova reels Noskova in on the third point, which Muchova finishes with a forehand pass! But Noskova is playing with such freedom, as if this is a hit in the park rather than a grand slam final, and she comes back at Muchova again for 30-all. Will it be game point or championship point? Game point, but Muchova’s just can’t shake Noskova off, and it’s swiftly deuce. And then championship point, when Muchova tamely nets. Muchova takes a little longer to serve … lands a strong first serve out wide … and now Noskova nets! A little shake of head from Noskova there, which is as much frustration as she’s shown today. She soon has a second championship point … but goes long!

“In the aftermath of her semi-final defeat, Maria Kostyuk said she felt she was simply not allowed to play her game in the match,” emails Gavriella Epstein-Lightman. “It seems that something similar is unfolding in this final. Noskova’s bludgeoning power coupled with unrelenting accuracy on her groundstrokes is dominating the match, preventing Muchova from utilising the variety of shots in her toolbox. Muchova will be hoping that Noskova’s level dips, and that unforced errors start to creep in.”

Second set: Muchova* 2-6, 2-5 Noskova (* denotes next server)

Amid this relentless serving and ball-striking from Noskova, Muchova’s magic from the quarter-finals and semi-finals has vanished into thin air, and Noskova backs up the break in double quick time, moving to 15-0, 30-0. And 40-0, when she shows she’s not all about power, with a crafty backhand slice that befuddles Muchova. Game Noskova. She’s a game away and this has been a brilliant, fearless display from the 21-year-old.

Noskova breaks: Muchova 2-6, 2-4 Noskova* (* denotes next server)

At 15-all, a Noskova return lands bang on the baseline, and Muchova is thrown by the bounce. So it’s 15-30 … and then 15-40 when Muchova inexplicably misses with an inside-in forehand. Ach. And Noskova breaks at the first time of asking when Muchova, off balance once more, nets her forehand off Noskova’s return. Time is running out for Muchova and we may not get that third set we want.

Second set: Muchova* 2-6, 2-3 Noskova (* denotes next server)

Groeneveld is urging Muchova to get to the net more, and she’s showing more aggression and intent here, as she secures a first love hold. But Noskova rattles through the next game nearly as quickly, to edge ahead once more.

Second set: Muchova* 2-6, 1-2 Noskova (* denotes next server)

The spectators seemed a little conflicted early on over which Czech to cheer, but Muchova, as the underdog, now has their support, especially when she fizzes away an inside-out forehand winner for 15-30 on Noskova’s serve. Her forehand hasn’t quite found its range today, but that one certainly did. Another big hit, this time on a backhand return, and Noskova can’t dig the ball out of her feet! 15-40, Muchova’s first break points of the final. Noskova gobbles up a short ball on the first, and a stinging serve extracts the error on the second. Deuce turns into a third break point … but Muchova is carved up by Noskova’s slice. And Noskova survives with the hold. A collective Wimblegroan turns into a polite cheer for Noskova, but they desperately want Muchova to make a match of this.

Second set: Muchova 2-6, 1-1 Noskova* (* denotes next server)

No she can’t, because it’s very quickly 15-0, 30-0, 40-0, game Noskova. Noskova’s won 14 out of 15 points played behind her first serve and she just isn’t giving Muchova any time to breathe. Muchova’s coach, Sven Groeneveld – whose list of former charges includes no less than Monica Seles, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Mary Pierce, Michael Stich, Greg Rusedski and Maria Sharapova (who’s here today), among others – is trying to offer her encouragement, but it doesn’t immediately help as she slides 0-30 down on serve. She can’t afford to be broken here, given the way Noskova is playing and the momentum she has, even though it is very early in the second set. And Muchova gamely gets herself out of that 0-30 hole to 40-30. And then game. Cue one of the loudest cheers from the crowd so far.

Muchova has gone off court to try to figure out what to do. Meanwhile Martina is showing the Princess of Wales some photos on her phone. How I’d love to find out what they are. Kvitova is furiously waving a paper fan in the 30C heat, as are most of the Royal Box. And now Muchova is back. But can she find a way of doing any damage on Noskova’s serve?

First set: Muchova* 2-5 Noskova (* denotes next server)

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 – 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 – but the good news is she does have new balls.

First set: Muchova 2-4 Noskova* (* denotes next server)

“I don’t know if it’s fatigue from the Coco match, or if it’s just nerves, but it’s been a slow start from Muchova. She needs to make a change and get the energy up,” says John McEnroe on the BBC commentary. “At least they’re both on the board after what happened 12 months ago …” offers Sam Smith, more optimistically. Whether it’s fatigue or nerves, it’s hard to say, maybe it’s a combination of both. I don’t think it’s 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.

First set: Muchova* 1-4 Noskova (* denotes next server)

Noskova revealed after her semi-final a list of superstitions so long it would rival peak Rafa – “the same routines in the morning, the same lunch, the same bathroom, the same sink, the same everything” – though thankfully she hasn’t 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’s deuce. Gah! Call that the commentator’s curse. Noskova doesn’t panic, though, and after a superb point at her advantage, she eventually prevails.

First set: Muchova 1-3 Noskova* (* denotes next server)

At 15-all, Muchova overcooks a forehand. Perhaps because of the heat – the balls will certainly be flying off the racket a bit faster. It’s the first time more than one point has been conceded in a service game in this final … and it’s 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 … but Noskova returns Muchova’s serve with interest on the second BP, the 21-year-old is in control of the point … and she breaks with a backhand winner! It’s first blood to the younger Czech.

First set: Muchova* 1-2 Noskova (* denotes next server)

Noskova’s serve is one of her biggest weapons – she faced only one break point in her semi-final against Marta Kostyuk, who’s been on a career-best run this summer (even Kostyuk gave Noskova a 9.5/10 for her serving performance) – and Noskova underlines why it’s so strong here, serving her way to 15-0, 30-0, 40-0, game. Back to you, Karolina …

First set: Muchova 1-1 Noskova* (* denotes next server)

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’ll shake off a few of the nerves. She then reacts quickly to Noskova’s 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.

First set: Muchova* 0-1 Noskova (* denotes next server)

Ladies and gentlemen, Noskova won the toss and elected to serve, so will get this 132^nd Wimbledon women’s final under way. The 21-year-old begins her first grand slam final with a netted forehand. Muchova – playing in her second after losing the 2023 French Open final against Iga Swiatek – mirrors that netted forehand on the second point. Both look a little tight … 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.

Tik, tok, tik, tok! They’re warming up. Which gives us time to ask: who wins? Um, I’m 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’s 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’t give us much of a pointer either: they’ve 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.

Talking about friends/rivals (frivals?), I watched the Navratilova and Evert documentary last night, and it’s brilliant. I can’t 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 – 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’t at Wimbledon this year as she stays at home for treatment after her ovarian cancer returned.

The pair arrive on court to a warm reception and even hotter conditions – about 29C – so for the second successive Wimbledon women’s final, it’s a scorcher. Let’s just hope it’s more competitive than Iga Swiatek’s 6-0, 6-0 destruction of Amanda Anisimova 12 months ago. Judging by how closely matched Muchova and Noskova are, it should be.

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.

Taking centre stage in the Royal Box this afternoon is the Princess of Wales – she’ll be presenting the Venus Rosewater Dish to the winner too. Navratilova and Kvitova are also there, watching over the two Czechs.

Stat attack

• The last time two women from the same country met in the Wimbledon final was in 2009, when Serena defeated Venus Williams.

• A third Czech women’s Wimbledon winner in four years is guaranteed. It’ll be the ninth successive year there’s a first-time champion.

• Noskova, at 21, is the youngest Wimbledon women’s finalist since Eugenie Bouchard in 2014.

• 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.

The Czech-born Wimbledon champions:

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 singles titles, she still inspired Hana Mandlikova, Helena Sukova and Jana Novotna … who were then followed by Petra Kvitova, Karolina Pliskova, Barbora Krejcikova and Marketa Vondrousova … and now Muchova and Noskova. Success breeds success.

“We have a great history of Czech tennis,” Muchova said after her semi-final. “Definitely 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’s how it worked for me. It’s nice that we’re from such a small country and we have so many good players.”

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.

“We are all kind of brought up in the same way, in our game styles,” Noskova said. “We are very creative, I would say, so grass allows us to use any side of tennis, if it’s serve and volley back in the old days, if it’s 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’s showing.”

Muchova
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

Noskova
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

Road to the final. Muchova has a strange record at Wimbledon, 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’t 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’d been flawless against Aryna Sabalenka) in the quarters and nerveless against Coco Gauff, perhaps the most clutch player in the women’s 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’t conceded a set since, knocking out last year’s Australian Open champion Madison Keys and the in-form Marta Kostyuk, one of the hottest players on tour this summer.

Tale of the tape

Muchova - Noskova
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 finals 0
1 Head-to-head 0

And the Press Association’s report on the doubles double for Patten and Heliovaara:

Britain’s Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara won the Wimbledon men’s doubles title with a 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/3) victory over Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic in Saturday’s final.

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.

Patten and Finland’s Heliovaara are the 11th team in the Open era to win multiple Wimbledon men’s doubles titles and the first since Bob and Mike Bryan won their second at the All England Club in 2011.

Arevalo, from El Salvador, won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title with Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko on Thursday.

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.

They had won six of the seven tie-breaks they were involved in prior to the final.

Once again, that nerveless ability to conquer the tie-break pressure proved decisive.

Avenging their loss to the same opponents in the Queen’s 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.

“I owe Harri my career, when we started out he took a chance on me,” Patten said.

Speaking of which … here’s Simon Cambers’s preview of the women’s final:

It feels somehow fitting that at the end of one of the most open women’s singles events in history, two Czech players should find themselves fighting it out for the biggest title in the game. Saturday’s clash between Karolina Muchova and Linda Noskova is the first all-Czech Wimbledon 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.

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).

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.

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 while the 21-year-old Noskova, eight years younger and seeded one spot higher at No 9, is appearing in her first.

Both women won grass-court titles in the run-up to Wimbledon.

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.

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.

You can read the rest here:

Meanwhile Jana Kovackova and Katerina Zajickova have won the girls’ doubles title … as if the Czechs don’t already have enough talent …

There was also victory for Britain’s Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid earlier in the men’s wheelchair doubles final, as the top seeds came from a set down to beat Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez and Japan’s Tokito Oda 2-6, 6-1, 6-2. It’s their seventh Wimbledon doubles title together. Hewett – and Oda – will be back tomorrow to contest the singles final.

“I think this is a fantastic example of the joy doubles can bring,” continues Patten, referencing the ATP’s plans to reduce doubles draws and cut prize money. “I believe we should be growing opportunities in tennis for kids, whether they’re doubles players, singles players, from the UK, Finland, Croatia, El Salvador … we should be growing the sport, not taking opportunities away.” He then reveals his fiancee isn’t in the stands, because she’s a doctor and has been on call all week. “I hit a yellow tennis ball and she saves lives. I’m so proud of her for what she does, she works way harder than me.” He shouldn’t be doing himself down too much, though. The Wimbledon title in 2024, the Australian Open in 2025 and now Wimbledon again in 2026. What a team Patten and Heliovaara are.

Heliovaara is in tears; Patten just can’t stop smiling. And now it’s 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.

“It’s unbelievable, doing it twice,” says Heliovaara. “I want to thank Henry for being the best partner in the world.” Patten quips: “I owe Harri my career. When I started with Harri, he took a chance on me … and it turned out to be the best decision he ever made.”