French Open 2021: Barbora Krejcikova wins maiden Grand Slam title with win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova

Czech Republic's Barbora Krejcikova is currently ranked 33 in the WTA Singles Rankings and is expected to rise following her French Open 2021 win. It was her maiden Grand Slam title, while it was also the first time that she had progressed beyond the second round.

Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic created history as she won the 2021 French Open for her maiden Grand Slam title. The unseeded world number 33 overcame the challenge from 31st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia and tamed her 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 at the Roland Garros Stadium in Paris.

The match
As for the match, the opening two sets were contrasting, with Krejcikova outplaying Pavlyuchenkova in the opener, followed by a similar approach from the Russian in the second. Then, however, the sport began in the deciding set.

Despite taking a medial timeout in the second set for an apparent leg injury, Pavlyuchenkova went hard at the Czech, besides managing to save three championship points. However, when it came to the fourth, her backhand shot landed beyond the baseline to hand Krejcikova her maiden Slam title.

Stats

• Krejcikova is the first Czech to win the title at Roland Garros since 1981, when Hana Mandlikova did it while representing Czechoslovakia.
• She is the third unseeded to win the title in the last five years after Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko (2017) and Oland's Iga Swiatek (2020).
• She is also the third woman after Russia's Anastasia Myskina (2004) and Belgium's Justine Henin (2005) in the open era to win the title while facing a match point in the tournament in the semis against Greece's Maria Sakkari.
• She has also become the first to win a Slam after winning an event a week before (Strasbourg Open) since Belarus's Victoria Azarenka (Sydney Open and Australian Open in 2012). She is the first to do so at RG since USA's Chris Evert (Berlin Open 1983).

Reactions
Krejcikova: It's something I have always dreamed about. Winning here, my first doubles title, then winning the mixed ones. Now, I was just telling myself, It would be really nice if I can get the Grand Slam in all three categories. Now, it's happening. I cannot believe it. Wow! I'm just really happy that I was able to handle it as I did. Mentally, I think that was the biggest key. I just knew that as soon as I'm going to enter the court, I'm not going to be panicking anymore. That was actually happening. I was really happy about that.

Pavlyuchenkova: I have to be honest, I wasn't mentioning because I was still in the tournament. I didn't want my opponents to hear. But, the Sabalenka match, I was actually in a really bad shape physically. I don't know how I even won that match because I also had a medical treatment there; I had to wrap my leg. I've struggled with my knees for a while, with my left knee. That caused a lot of pain in my knee after because I compensate a lot in my body. Actually, in the third set during the Sabalenka match, I said to myself, 'If I win this match, I'm going to cry'. It's such a shame, I play so good, but my body says this to me: 'I don't want to continue'.

(As told to WTA)

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