The Open Era
Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic · born Brno, 1968 · died 2017 · Wimbledon champion 1998
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1998
Wimbledon singles champion, aged 29
3
Wimbledon singles finals, 1993 to 1998
6
Wimbledon titles in singles, doubles and mixed
8
Wimbledon doubles finals, 1989 to 1998
4-1
Her third-set lead over Graf, 1993 final
Born in Brno, Czechoslovakia, in 1968, the daughter of an engineer and a teacher, Novotná finished her first year on tour, 1985, ranked 305th. A serve-and-volleyer when few women played that way, she was coached for nine years by Hana Mandlíková, reached No. 1 in doubles in 1990 and No. 2 in singles in 1997. She won one major singles title, Wimbledon in 1998, along with 12 major doubles titles and four in mixed, and 100 career titles in all. She took Olympic silver in doubles in 1988 and 1996 and bronze in singles in 1996. After retiring in 1999 she commentated for the BBC and coached. She was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2005 and died in 2017, aged 49.
| Major singles titles | 1: Wimbledon (1998) |
|---|---|
| Major singles finals lost | 2: Wimbledon 1993, Wimbledon 1997 |
| Other grass singles titles | 1: Eastbourne (1998) |
| Major doubles titles | 4 doubles (Wimbledon 4), 1 mixed (Wimbledon 1) |
| Other grass doubles titles | 4: Eastbourne 4 (1992, 1995, 1996, 1998) |
| Wimbledon doubles | Won 1989 and 1990 with Helena Suková, 1995 with Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, 1998 with Martina Hingis. Finals lost 1991 with Gigi Fernández, 1992 and 1993 with Larisa Savchenko Neiland, 1994 with Sánchez Vicario |
| Wimbledon mixed | 1989 with Jim Pugh, beating Mark Kratzmann and Jenny Byrne 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 |
| Singles finals | 1993: lost to Steffi Graf 7-6, 1-6, 6-4 from 4-1 up in the third. 1997: lost to Martina Hingis 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. 1998: beat Nathalie Tauziat 6-4, 7-6 |
| Wimbledon 1998 | Won the singles and, with Hingis, the doubles, beating Lindsay Davenport and Natasha Zvereva 6-3, 3-6, 8-6 |
| Wimbledon | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Women's doubles | with Helena Suková |
| 1989 | Mixed doubles | with Jim Pugh |
| 1990 | Women's doubles | with Helena Suková |
| 1995 | Women's doubles | with Arantxa Sánchez Vicario |
| 1998 | Women's doubles | with Martina Hingis |
| 1998 | Women's singles | |
| Eastbourne | ||
| 1992 | Women's doubles | with Larisa Neiland |
| 1995 | Women's doubles | with Arantxa Sánchez Vicario |
| 1996 | Women's doubles | with Arantxa Sánchez Vicario |
| 1998 | Women's doubles | with Mariaan de Swardt |
| 1998 | Women's singles | |
Leading grass titles only: the grass majors, tour-level grass events since 1968 and the leading grass championships before 1968. † single source; ‡ sources disagree. Roll of champions
"Just look at Jana's gracefulness, the athleticism, the agility, and balance."
The person behind the player.
Wimbledon 1993 · Final
At 40-30 in the sixth game of the final set, serving for a 5-1 lead over Steffi Graf, she double-faulted and lost the last five games. At the presentation she wept on the Duchess of Kent's shoulder. "When she smiled at me I just let go," Novotná said. The Duchess told her: "One day you will do it, I know you will."
Source: The Irish TimesAfter 1993
The word "choker" followed her for years, and she answered it directly. "All I was doing was going for my shots, that's the way I play," she said. "Does that make me a choker? How many chokers get to a Wimbledon final?" She preferred to say she had got a little tight.
Source: WTAWimbledon 1997 · Final
She took the first set from Martina Hingis and led 2-0 in the third, then lost 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. At the presentation she told the Duchess of Kent that she was getting a bit old. The Duchess replied that her third time would be lucky.
Source: The Irish TimesWimbledon 1998
In the semi-finals she beat Martina Hingis, the player who had beaten her in the final a year earlier, in straight sets. She then beat Nathalie Tauziat 6-4, 7-6 for the title, and with Hingis as her partner won the doubles the same fortnight. This time the Duchess of Kent told her: "I'm so proud of you."
Source: WTABBC, 2000 to 2002
After she retired she joined the BBC's Wimbledon commentary team. She was so softly spoken that her microphone always needed a boost. Pam Shriver called her as kind as she was athletic. In 2010 she settled near Brno, the city where she had always been happiest.
Source: The Irish TimesWimbledon, 2006 to 2014
Retirement did not keep her off the Wimbledon lawns. She won the Ladies' Invitation Doubles five times, in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2014, and in 2010 partnered Martina Navratilova in the event. She also kept coaching, and among her pupils was the future Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejčíková.
Source: WikipediaFree membership: player news, the grass court Atlas, the rankings and the grass season calendar.
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