08/31/26 12:01:00
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08/31 11:59 CDT Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova is back in Grand Slam mode at
the US Open
Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova is back in Grand Slam mode at the US Open
By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --- Linda Noskova's life changed earlier this summer in ways she
could not possibly imagine.
The 21-year-old from the Czech Republic won Wimbledon, the youngest champion
there in a decade and a half, for her first Grand Slam title. She met Czech
president Petr Pavel and was celebrated by thousands in her hometown of Vsetn.
"A lot of congratulations from people that weren't really expected," she said.
Back at a major for the first time at the U.S. Open, Noskova understands the
gravity of what she has accomplished but insists it has not changed how she
approaches tennis, with her eyes on more prizes ahead.
"It has always been very important to focus on each match like nothing ever
happened before: no success or no failure," Noskova said. "Whatever happened
happened, and this is a brand-new tournament. I just have to start all over."
It's not totally starting over. She will always have that Wimbledon run on her
resume, and she has improved from 12th to a career-best sixth in the WTA world
rankings.
Still, Noskova called not getting ahead of herself the most important thing,
which she believes is easy. That means starting with her opening match Monday
against 78th-ranked American opponent Katie Volynets on court 11, far from the
spotlight.
"I really want to stay the same --- not really change many things around me,"
Noskova said. "Whenever there is something new or something I'm not used to, I
just kind of always want to stick with the things that I know how to do, and
whatever is new, I just kind of get used to it."
Knowing it's about "What have you done for me lately?" Noskova acknowledges the
media attention will not last forever. Going all the way at the All-England
Club did give her confidence that she can hang with the best women's players on
the planet, which helps at a U.S. Open that looks wide open.
"I have learned mainly the fact that it's possible for me to do it: for me to
make it till the very end and just lift (a) Grand Slam trophy," Noskova said.
"I feel like all of us, all players, just dream about that moment and when it
actually comes, it's very hard to realize and to realize all the things that
went into it."
Noskova beat countrywoman Karolina Muchova in the Wimbledon final. She's the
youngest to win that tournament since another Czech player, Petra Kvitova in
2011.
But the celebrations of that achievement are over. For the first several
minutes of her question-and-answer session upon arriving in New York last week,
Noskova did not utter the "W" word.
She smiled and called it unintentional. Attempting to shift her mindset and
moving past Wimbledon is very intentional.
"I feel like I have had enough of it, in a good way," Noskova said. "I mean,
it's something that it's so big and huge that it's very tough to actually
swallow. But at the same time, we have a new Grand Slam here. I cannot be stuck
in my head space at Wimbledon. ... I will just try to redo what I did."
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