Back to the Tennis Newsfeed

Jana Novotna, Czech Winner of Wimbledon, Dies at 49

Jana Novotna, the Czech tennis star who famously cried on the Duchess of Kent’s shoulder after losing a Wimbledon singles final and then triumphed at the same tournament five years later, has died. She was 49.

Ms. Novotna, died in her native Czech Republic on Sunday, the Women’s Tennis Association said in a statement. The cause was cancer.

Ms. Novotna famously cried on the Duchess of Kent’s shoulder in 1993 after losing the women’s singles final at Wimbledon. She triumphed at the same tournament five years later. Denis Paquin/Associated Press

She won 17 Grand Slam titles over her career, including 16 in doubles and mixed doubles, as well as three Olympic medals.