Former Wimbledon champ Jana dies of cancer
P R AG U E : Former Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna has died at the age of 49 following a long battle with cancer.
Jana won the Wimbledon title in 1998 beating France’s Nathalie Tauziat in the final.
After a long battle with illness she died on Sunday in her native Czech Republic surrounded by her family, a WTA statement said.
The picture of a distraught Novotna being comforted by the Duchess of Kent after losing the 1993 final when she had led 4-1 in the final set is one of the memorable Wimbledon moments.
Novotna, also won four Wimbledon doubles titles with compatriot Helena Sukova in 1989 and 1990, with Arantxa SanchezVicario in 1995 and with Hingis in 1998.
She won doubles titles at all four Grand Slam tournaments — triumphing 12 times in the women’s doubles and on a further four occasions in the mixed event.
Czech-born American great Martina Navratilova expressed deep sorrow at Novotna’s death.
“The tennis world is so sad about the passing of Jana Novotna...I am gutted and beyond words” tweeted Navratilova, a winner of 18 Grand Slam singles titles and a combined 41 doubles crowns.
“A sad loss to the tennis world, but a devastating loss to those of us who shared a deep friendship with her... RIP Jana,” added former American star Chris Evert, who also won 18 major singles titles.
Former US player and now tennis commentator Pam Sh river remembered her rival fond ly.
“Jana was as kind as she was athletic, as smart as she was competitive. I can’t believe she is gone this soon. Her smile lives forever young,” Shriver tweeted.
Czech star Karolina Pliskova, the former World No 1 and last year’s US Open finalist, also paid tribute to her fallen compatriot.
“So sad to hear about Jana Novotna. She will always be a champion for me. RIP,” Pliskova tweeted.
Spain’s 1994 Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez spoke of her grief at learning of Novotna’s demise.
“Jana Novotna leaves us too soon. RIP JANA, you will be missed,” Martinez said on Twitter.
Steve Simon, chief executive of the WTA, said: “Jana was an inspiration both on and off court .
“Her star will always shine brightly in the history of the WTA. ”
Born on October 2, 1968, Novotna won a total of 24 singles tournaments and 76 doubles tournaments in a career that spanned from 1987 to 1999.
She reached a high of World No 2 and became the oldest firsttime Grand Slam singles champion at 29 years and nine months – a record since eclipsed by Francesca Schiavone and Flavia Pennetta.
Novotna also won the Fed Cup with the former Czechoslovakia in 1988, as well as two Olympic doubles silver medals, and a bronze in singles at the 1996 Games in Atlanta.
She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005. AFP