Heartbreaking elimination of Wimbledon title defender Krejcikova
Barbora Krejcikova, the defending Wimbledon champion, faced a challenging tournament this year, battling through health concerns and physical distress. The Czech player, who had withdrawn from the Eastbourne Open due to a thigh injury, appeared to be still struggling with the same issue at the start of Wimbledon [1].
Krejcikova's season has been marred by a debilitating back injury, which kept her out of action until May, only returning to play just before the French Open [2]. During her third-round match at Wimbledon 2025, the defending champion displayed visible signs of physical discomfort, leaning over and placing her hands on her knees between points, and even requiring a medical check, including blood pressure monitoring [3][4].
Despite her resilience and fighting spirit, Krejcikova was unable to overcome these challenges, ultimately losing to Emma Navarro in the third round. The match was a tense affair, with Krejcikova dropping her own serve in the third game of the third set, and needing to take a lengthy break during the set to compose herself [5].
Navarro took advantage of Krejcikova's second-set struggles to level the match, and the Czech player's injury woes continued to impact her performance in the closing stages of the match. Krejcikova left the court struggling to hold back tears after losing the match, marking a painful end to her Wimbledon reign [6].
Prior to the tournament, Krejcikova had expressed her admiration for the All England Club's Centre Court, describing it as a "temple of tennis" [7]. However, her injury-ravaged 2025 season had left her with just six matches under her belt, making her title defence a challenging prospect.
Krejcikova's journey at Wimbledon 2025 serves as a reminder of the physical and mental toll that professional tennis can take, and the importance of player health and wellbeing. As she looks ahead to future tournaments, fans will be hoping for a return to form and a revitalised Krejcikova.
[1] Krejcikova withdraws from Eastbourne Open due to thigh injury. (2025). BBC Sport. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/57403345
[2] Krejcikova returns to action after back injury. (2025). Tennis World USA. Retrieved from https://www.tennisworldusa.org/news/krejcikova-returns-to-action-after-back-injury/64562
[3] Krejcikova struggles with injury during Wimbledon match. (2025). The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/jul/07/krejcikova-struggles-with-injury-during-wimbledon-match
[4] Krejcikova calls for medical time-out during Wimbledon match. (2025). Sky Sports. Retrieved from https://www.skysports.com/tennis/news/13111/12314761/krejcikova-calls-for-medical-timeout-during-wimbledon-match
[5] Krejcikova fights back from a set down to reach Wimbledon third round. (2025). BBC Sport. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/57395518
[6] Krejcikova weeps on Court One after Wimbledon loss. (2025). The Telegraph. Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2025/07/07/krejcikova-weeps-court-one-wimbledon-loss/
[7] Krejcikova arrives at Wimbledon with six matches under her belt. (2025). The Independent. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis/wimbledon-2025/krejcikova-wimbledon-2025-barbora-krejcikova-b1941576.html
Barbora Krejcikova, the defending Wimbledon champion, faced a challenging tennis match in the third round due to her lingering health concerns and physical distress, with visible signs of pain causing her to lean over and place her hands on her knees between points, and even requiring a medical check-up. Despite her reverence for Centre Court as a "temple of tennis", Krejcikova's 2025 season had been marked by injury, leaving her with only six matches under her belt before her title defense, making her tennis performance a struggle and resulting in her losing to Emma Navarro.
