Karolina Muchova lost to Linda Noskova in the Wimbledon ladies' final of 2026 in three sets. The match was an emotional rollercoaster for both players and tennis fans, made more extreme by the fact that both players were from Czechia. Too many tie-ins existed not to have the winner exalted and the loser deflated.
To be clear, Noskoa choked the match away in the second set after leading 5-2 and winning the first set. She then went 49 minutes without winning a game, at times having fingers in her ears to drown out the crowd noise after a loss, and then putting a towel over her head after the second set. She had suffered a meltdown and lost the final five games of the set to lose 5-7.
Somehow, she was able to start the third set wonderfully and was able to hold serve at the end to win the final set 6-3 and, therefore, the championship. In the post-match on-court speeches, runner-up Muchova said what all fans felt, but would never say, after losing to a friend.
Karolina Muchova's heartfelt irony about Linda Noskova after Wimbledon says everything
"It’s really tough to find any words," Muchova said. "But I’ll start with Linda, my ex friend."
Of course, as the older Czech player on the all-Czech player went on to say, she was joking. She and Noskova would remain friends, but the ending was still brutal, no matter how close one player was to another. After Muchova tasted a potential comeback after dropping a set and facing multiple championship points in set two, she hadn't found a way to take the third set.
That Muchova could keep her ironic humor after such an emotionally unsettling match speaks volumes. Noskova should be celebrated for winning her first major. Likely, of many, as she is just 21 years old. She has the power to keep her in matches she might not otherwise be in, and will likely learn from being so close to winning a major only to have to basically win it again.
While Karolina Muchova was clearly joking, her jab implied that Linda Noskova stole a major win from her. Instead, it was Muchova who would have pulled off the theft. She couldn't, and that Noskova was able to keep her wits after seemingly giving away a trophy she had already earned is beyond admirable.
The hope is that both Czech players win several majors. They deserve that through sheer brilliance of play and demeanor after the match. Tennis is in good shape.
