
Barbora Krejcikova Gives Fitness Update Ahead Of Wimbledon Title Defence
Defending Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova gave a fitness update ahead of her title defence against Eastbourne Open runners-up Alexandra Eala. Barbora, who was forced to withdraw from the Eastbourne Open this week due to injury ahead of the quarterfinal, will be kickstarting her Grand Slam defence in the UK against Eala on Tuesday. Speaking ahead of the match in the pre-match presser, Krejcikova said, "I had to have a couple of days off where I did not really play any tennis, but I did some off-court stuff. I have been feeling every day a little bit better, so I am really happy with that."
"I hope by Tuesday everything's going to be fine. Yeah, I hope I am going to have a nice match and a great tournament," she added.
Heading into the Wimbledon after playing some tournaments in May and June following a thigh issue that stopped her from playing between November to May, she said that things have not been difficult despite spending so much time away from the game.
"It is actually very, very nice to be here and very nice to play, even after all the time I was out. So I am enjoying it. I am happy to be here. I find it tough, complicated, but I do not find it difficult. Yeah, I am looking forward very much to playing on Tuesday," she concluded.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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India Today
6 minutes ago
- India Today
Carlos Alcaraz targets historic Wimbledon three-peat, chases place among legends
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz returns to Wimbledon with the poise of a champion and the perspective of someone learning to live in the eye of the storm. On Monday, he will take his place on Centre Court for the opening match of the men's singles draw-a tradition reserved for the defending champion-and face Italy's Fabio 21-year-old Spaniard is chasing a rare three-peat at the All England Club, having won back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024. Last year, he dismantled seven-time champion Novak Djokovic in straight sets to become only the ninth man in the Open Era to successfully defend a Wimbledon crown-joining a list that includes Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, and Djokovic enters this year's tournament with a perfect 5-0 record in Grand Slam finals. His most recent triumph came at Roland Garros, where he clawed back from two sets down to beat World No. 1 Jannik Sinner. He's also a former champion on the hard courts of the US Open, making him the youngest man to win Grand Slams on all three surfaces-grass, clay, and hard. Now ranked No. 2, Alcaraz holds an 18-2 record at Wimbledon, with his 89.5% win rate putting him in elite company. Only Borg (92.7%) and Sampras (90 percent) boast higher percentages on the grass in the Open Era. Another title here would make him the third-youngest man to win multiple Wimbledon titles, behind only Becker and that, history beckons. A sixth major would make him the second-youngest man in the Open Era to reach the milestone, after Borg in 1978. A successful defence at SW19 would also place him among the few to win three or more Wimbledon titles in a row-joining the likes of Federer, Sampras, Borg, and Djokovic. He could also become only the fourth man to complete multiple Channel Slams (winning both Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year), after Laver, Borg, and Alcaraz is in no mood to chase numbers."I'm in no doubt that I have nothing to prove," he said ahead of his opener. "It's my life and I live it the way I think is correct. The key is not to think about what people say, or their expectations, but to focus on what I really need and what makes me feel good." His rise has been meteoric, but methodical. Under the guidance of coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, a former World No. 1, Alcaraz has built a game suited for all terrains-and a mindset that's increasingly unfazed by pressure. After a disappointing early exit in Madrid, he bounced back by winning Roland Garros and then Queen's Club, where he didn't drop a set in the win in Queen's extended his unbeaten streak on grass to 12 matches. His movement is sharper, his timing more precise, and his confidence on the surface is unmistakable. He attributes much of that to the stability of his inner circle."They play an essential role," Alcaraz said of his team. "Being with them helps me forget about everything going on externally. That feeling is very necessary What matters most is to feel good and to be surrounded by people that I love and who help me switch off from the world."advertisement"All of us being together in a house creates more of a family atmosphere," Alcaraz said. "Throughout the year we go from hotel to hotel, and although that's fine, it's not the same. Here we make more plans, we play board games... That really helps me relax and enjoy myself more, both on and off the court."His first hurdle is Fognini, a 38-year-old former top-10 player now ranked outside the top 100. The Italian has never progressed beyond the third round in 14 Wimbledon appearances and arrives with little momentum. Still, Alcaraz knows better than to underestimate a veteran with nothing to draw, meanwhile, presents opportunities. Djokovic hasn't been in the best of forms this year, Daniil Medvedev has looked inconsistent, and Sinner-on the opposite hand-is a potential rematch waiting to happen if both make the final on July Alcaraz is not looking that far ahead. For now, it's all about the first serve on opening pressure may be rising, the accolades piling up, but the joy in his game remains untouched. If he continues striking the ball with the same blend of flair and focus, it might take something extraordinary to stop him.- Ends advertisement


India Today
7 minutes ago
- India Today
Wimbledon Day 1, Schedule and Live Streaming: Alcaraz, Sabalenka, Paolini in action
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Hindustan Times
10 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Wimbledon round 1 matches to watch out for: Future stars on show, and upsets on the cards with early banana-peel matches
Only three weeks on from the iconic set of finals at the French Open, and grand slam tennis makes its return with new fans and old all in tow. We return to the famous lawns of Wimbledon, the most historic and famous of tennis tournaments, where every result means that little bit more. With so many eyes on these matches, there is always an added pressure early on in the tournament, as the top players try to minimise hiccups and get through to the latter rounds. French Open champion Coco Gauff is amongst those names who will have to be a little careful in their first round match at Wimbledon.(AP) Nevertheless, the one certainty about grand slam tennis is that upsets will happen, new heroes will be crowned, and memorable moments will come to the fore through the fortnight — particularly on the lush green grass at Wimbledon. With that in mind, here are five matches that fans should make a note of in the very first round beginning today. The top seeds in the men's draw would have been sweating at the prospect of running into hulking Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi-Perricard, standing at 203 cm tall and possessing the most brutal serve on the men's tour. Ranked just outside the cut for the seedings, he will be an extremely early challenge for world number five Taylor Fritz, trying to improve on his two quarterfinal appearances at Wimbledon. This is certainly the one first round match to watch, with huge serving promised from both sides on the slick fresh grass of Court 2. Bookmark this for today evening. Barbora Krejcikova vs Alexandra Eala Defending champion Barbora Krejcikova has a real banana peel to start her defense at Wimbledon, facing the WTA's breakout player of the year thus far, Philippines' Alexandra Eala. The 20-year-old has been making waves with some big results, and in her first taste of the Wimbledon grass, will be hungry to add another huge scalp to a growing list. Krejcikova has struggled with injuries since her triumph in 2024, and is certainly vulnerable. Coco Gauff vs Dayana Yastremska No rest for world number two Coco Gauff: after lifting the French Open title, she would have liked to ease into her work at Wimbledon. Instead, she receives a dangerous grass court player up first in Yastremska, who just reached the final of the Nottingham Open and possesses the power to cause upsets here. Gauff will need to adapt to the demands of grass good and early. Petra Kvitova vs Emma Navarro Petra Kvitova, champion at SW19 in 2011 and 2014, announced that she intends to retire from tennis in 2025 — which means this is her last Wimbledon, a tournament she has lit up with her powerful lefty play for so many years. She will want at least one good result before she bids farewell to this iconic tournament, and it could come early on against American number 10 seed Emma Navarro, who reached the quarters here last year. Joao Fonseca vs Jacob Fearnley Brazil's Joao Fonseca has been followed by ravenous support wherever he has gone in his young career so far — but the teenager might finally be on the wrong end of a partisan crowd on his Wimbledon debut, as he runs into British number two Jacob Fearnley on Court 1. Fearnley showed flashes on Centre Court against Novak Djokovic last year, and already has some big names in his notebook in 2025 grand slams, with Nick Kyrgios and Stanislas Wawrinka in Melbourne and Paris respectively: can he dial it up to knock the electric 18-year-old down a peg, or is Fonseca ready to announce himself to the wider public with a fairytale run, starting with a statement win against a local favourite?