LONDON (AP) – The defending Wimbledon champion, Barbora Krejcikova, faced a surprising exit in the third round of the tournament on Saturday. She lost to No. 10 seed Emma Navarro with a scoreline of 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, marking yet another instance of an unexpected outcome at the All England Club.
Krejcikova struggled notably during the third set, prompting medical staff to check her blood pressure after Navarro broke her serve to claim a 3-2 lead. During the medical timeout, Krejcikova consumed a banana and hydrated, while Navarro seized the opportunity to discuss strategies with her coach in the guest box.
Upon returning to the court, Krejcikova displayed signs of distress, often bending over and resting her hands on her knees between points. Despite these challenges, she managed to equalize at 3-all after breaking back. However, Navarro responded by breaking Krejcikova's serve once more, eventually leading 5-3 and sealing the match two games later.
Krejcikova's performance showcased a striking contrast between the two players. She recorded 34 winners—21 more than Navarro—but also committed a staggering 53 unforced errors. In contrast, Navarro maintained her composure, finishing with just 11 unforced errors.
The women's title, set to be awarded on July 12, will see the emergence of a new champion, marking the ninth consecutive year without a repeat winner at Wimbledon. The last woman to defend her title successfully was Serena Williams in 2016. Since then, the champions have included Garbiñe Muguruza in 2017, Angelique Kerber in 2018, Simona Halep in 2019, Ash Barty in 2021—though all have now retired—Elena Rybakina in 2022, Marketa Vondrousova in 2023, and finally, Krejcikova.
Interestingly, Rybakina also experienced an early exit on Saturday, while Vondrousova was eliminated in the second round. Krejcikova's defeat was particularly notable as it was only her second major title win, having previously triumphed at the 2021 French Open. This year, she entered Wimbledon as the No. 17 seed.
This tournament has been characterized by unexpected outcomes, with Navarro emerging as one of the four remaining top-10 seeds in the women’s draw alongside No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated Emma Raducanu in her third-round match on Friday, as well as No. 7 Mirra Andreeva and No. 8 Iga Swiatek, both of whom secured victories on Saturday.
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-- Byline, Source --
Howard Fendrich, The Associated Press
