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From being ranked outside the top 100 in singles ahead of the Roland Garros 2020 to winning her maiden Grand Slam crown the very next year, it has been an unforgettable few months for Barbora Krejcikova. Her 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 win over 31st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Saturday was as much a reward for her exceptional self-belief as it was for her nerves of steel.
Against 17th seed Maria Sakkari in the semifinals, Krejcikova was a point away from exiting the tournament. But she held on and progressed to the final, where she would produce another strong performance to beat a higher-ranked opponent.
This was just the fifth main draw appearance at a singles Major for Krejcikova, and yet she played the entire tournament like a veteran.
Barbora Krejcikova has frequently talked about how much of an inspiration her late coach Jana Novotna has been, and after her victory she couldn't control her emotions. On that note, here's a look at the three talking points from the 2021 Roland Garros women's singles final:
#1 Barbora Krejcikova's variety and finesse made a big difference
Barbora Krejcikova had too much variety for Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to deal with. After shaking off a poor start, Krejcikova started striking the ball with intelligence and guile to seize control of the proceedings.
The Czech's plan was to be unpredictable, and she succeeded for the most part. A crisp defensive lob helped her level the score in the first set after she had surrendered her opening service game, and she kept mixing things up after that.
Barbora Krejcikova also regularly tried to pin the Russian behind the baseline before finishing with a dropshot. A lot of times Pavlyuchenkova didn't know what to expect, and her failure to anticipate Krejcikova's next move was evident in the worried expression on her face throughout.
Krejcikova did lose the second set, but she made a stunning comeback by moving Pavlyuchenkova from side to side early in the third. With the Russian being handicapped by a left thigh issue, her game subsequently broke down too.
Krejcikova used her crosscourt forehand effectively to take control of the decider, and with it the match.
#2 Krejcikova refused to show nerves or fatigue
Players getting overwhelmed by the occasion in their maiden Grand Slam final is a common sight in tennis. But for Barbora Krejcikova, that lasted only for a few minutes.
She double faulted twice to concede her opening service game. But the World No. 33 brushed off the early jitters quickly, settling into the match by the very next game.
Krejcikova, who has been calmness personified throughout the tournament, did show a few signs of frustration early in the decider. But once again she was able to snap out of it and refocus.
Barbora Krejcikova's mental fortitude has been a big talking point this fortnight. Against Maria Sakkari she trailed for much of the deciding set before finally gathering the strength to break back and even save a match point.
That confidence and self-belief were evident on Saturday too. She lost her first two chances to close out the final on the Pavlyuchenkova serve, but made no mistake while serving it out herself.
Krejcikova's experience of winning five Major titles in doubles certainly aided her. And her high levels of fitness also played a huge role in helping her script the fairytale.
The 25-year-old is playing for the fifth consecutive week, while also simultaneously doing doubles duty (Krejcikova will play partner Katerina Siniakova in the doubles final on Sunday). But none of that could stop her march to the title.
#3 Barbora Krejcikova is the first Czech woman in the last 40 years to win Roland Garros
With her breakout Roland Garros performance, Barbora Krejcikova has etched her name in the annals of Czech tennis history. She has become just the second woman since Hana Mandlikova in 1981 to taste glory in Paris.
Krejcikova is the latest addition to Czech Republic's endless suppy of talent in women's singles; this is the nation that has also produced the legendary Martina Navratilova. Over the last decade, there have been a number of Czech players who have shone at the French Open.
While Petra Kvitova reached the semis in 2012 and 2020, Karolina Pliskova made it to the last four in 2017. Lucie Safarova and Marketa Vondrousova, meanwhile, finished as the runners-up in 2015 and 2019 respectively.
But none of them could lift the prized Coupe Suzanne Lenglen, something that the Brno-born Krejcikova managed to do on Saturday. Having lost her coach Jana Novotna to cancer in 2017, Krejcikova was always inspired to fulfill what the 1998 Wimbledon winner had told her shortly before she passed away.
"I spent a lot of time with Jana before she died," Krejcikova said after the match. "Her last words to me were, 'Enjoy tennis and try and win a Grand Slam'."
Perhaps that's what gave Krejcikova the extra strength and courage to keep going even when the chips were down.
