Wimbledon champ Jana loses battle with cancer at 49
SHE captured hearts around the world when she burst into tears on Centre Court at Wimbledon after being defeated in 1993 and was comforted by the Duchess of Kent.
Five years later Jana Novotna wept again – but this time they were tears of joy after she won the women’s championship.
Her quest for the title was highlighted yesterday as tributes poured in for the ‘inspirational’ Czech player who has died aged 49 after a long battle with cancer.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club tweeted: ‘She was a true champion in all senses of the word, and her 1998 triumph will live long in the memory.’
After her defeat by Steffi Graf in 1993, Miss Novotna revealed that the Duchess of Kent had told her during their warm exchange: ‘Jana, I believe that you will do it, don’t worry.’
She went on to win Wimbledon in 1998 and by the end of her 14year career had 17 Grand Slam titles to her name.
In a statement yesterday, the Women’s Tennis Association said: ‘Jana was an inspiration both on and off court to anyone who had the opportunity to know her.
‘Her star will always shine brightly in the history of the WTA.’
Fellow Czech player Martina Navratilova tweeted: ‘I am gutted and beyond words – Jana was a true friend and an amazing woman.’ The three-time Olympic champion died on Sunday surrounded by her family in the Czech Republic, the WTA said.
Speaking to the BBC about being consoled by the duchess, Miss Novotna said: ‘I opened the newspaper and my picture with the Duchess of Kent was on the front pages.
‘It felt like I was the winner and that was a great feeling. Maybe that match helped me to accomplish a lot more in my career.’
The Centre Court had never seen anything like it — a beaten finalist weeping on the shoulder of a royal family member, who threw stiff etiquette to the wind by comforting the vanquished player.
Thus did the nation take Jana Novotna and the Duchess of Kent to its heart in 1993, the aftermath of the Czech’s collapse against Steffi Graf providing one of Wimbledon’s most iconic images.
Novotna, who died yesterday at 49 after battling cancer, became synonymous with the dreaded ‘choke’ across all sports, let alone tennis, although her career was to have a happy ending.
The Duchess’s words on that emotional afternoon — ‘One day you will do it, I know you will’ — turned out to be prophetic, for five years later in 1998 Novotna became champion by winning her third final at what was then considered the advanced age of 29.
Tributes poured in yesterday from around the tennis world, many along the lines of that from Chris evert, who described Novotna’s passing as ‘a devastating loss to those of us who shared a deep friendship with her, a woman with integrity and honour’.
She was a generally private person, blessed with a smile that was warm and mischievous at the same time, and the extent of Novotna’s illness was not common knowledge within the game.
It was to her great credit that she did not let the famous defeat by Graf define her. She had led the German 4-1 and 40-30 in the deciding set when her nerve deserted her after a double fault, with Graf winning the last five games. Novotna was to later reflect: ‘I don’t think I’m a choker but I’ve got a label on my back which says, ‘‘At the most important point in the match, Jana will choke’’.
‘The label is almost impossible to get rid of. I could win three straight tournaments and people would still say, ‘‘Yes, she can play well, but remember the Wimbledon when she choked’’.’
And it should be emphasised that Novotna was no loser, more a serial winner who ended up with 100 professional tennis titles.
She was a fine singles player but a truly great doubles exponent, blessed with a wide array of subtle hand skills that are increasingly hard to find in the modern women’s game, where power is the main currency. She won 12 Grand Slam doubles titles and four mixed doubles to add to a solitary solo triumph at Wimbledon, which propelled her to a career- best ranking of No 2. Coached by Grand Slam winner and compatriot hana Mandlikova, in 1997 she reached the final again, only to lose in three sets to Martina hingis.
The following year she beat Venus Williams in the quarters, hingis in the semis, and the overmatched French player Nathalie Tauziat in the final. The Duchess was on hand to present the trophy and declare: ‘I’m so proud of you.’
Former British No 1 Jo Durie yesterday recalled how difficult it was to face her old school volleying style, which on grass was backed up with a highly effective sliced backhand. ‘She had such quick hands at the net and her movement was so sharp she could rush you into making mistakes, she was everywhere,’ said Durie.
‘She had beautiful hands and feel of the type that you simply can’t coach.
‘While she was a fierce competitor there was also a slight fragility about her. Away from the court she was friendly and softlyspoken with a good sense of humour, a very nice person.’
Fulfilled by her 1998 triumph, Novotna retired the following year but remained a regular visitor to the All england Club. She played in the veterans’ events and was a popular member of the BBC commentary team. Sometimes overlooked was her brief but highly influential spell coaching 2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli. Working with her long-time companion, the former Polish player Iwona Kuczynska, she helped fashion Bartoli’s unexpected victory.
Novotna attended the inaugural Laver Cup in Prague in midSeptember, but this year had been absent from some of the senior Grand Slam events she usually attends. She died with her family by her side at her home in the Czech Republic.