(VIDEO) Barbora Krejcikova in tears as injury plagues her Wimbledon title defense

The 2024 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova cried during her third-round match against Emma Navarro, ultimately being eliminated from the tournament. The former world No. 2 experienced physical issues during the match, and winning the first set wasn't enough to overcome the world No. 10.

Krejcikova has endured a more than difficult past year since her surprising title win at Wimbledon 2024. The Czech has battled physical problems that kept her off the court for up to five months in 2025, only reappearing in mid-May at the Strasbourg Open.

She arrived at Wimbledon having played only four previous tournaments (with a 3-3 record), including two good wins at the Eastbourne Open, where she decided to withdraw before her quarterfinal match, aiming to preserve her physical condition for the defense of her crown at SW19.

And Krejcikova had managed to deliver a couple of good victories. She debuted with a win against the Filipino Alexandra Eala (3-6, 6-2, 6-1) and then overcame a tough encounter with American Caroline Dolehide (6-4, 3-6, 6-2), before heading into Saturday's third-round match against 10th seed Emma Navarro.

After a strong first set—which the Czech won 6-2—the 29-year-old's physical form visibly declined. She chased fewer balls and clearly showed discomfort that prevented her from competing normally. The former world No. 2 displayed immense courage to finish the match fighting and maintaining hope until the very last moment.

The third set was visibly painful for Krejcikova, who had to request medical assistance during the match, where her vital signs and blood pressure were checked amid concern from the fans. Despite finishing the match, Krejcikova couldn't regain her rhythm and was ultimately eliminated 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, failing in her title defense. The Czech will also lose a significant amount of points (1,870), which will cause her to drop more than 60 positions to world No. 77, her worst ranking since 2020.