WIMBLEDON, England — Jana Novotna sobbed on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent at Wimbledon 25 years ago. Novotna had held a 4-1, 40-30 lead in the third set of the 1993 final against Steffi Graf, and let her emotions flow freely as she accepted the runner-up plate.
Five years later, when Novotna won Wimbledon in her third final, she became one of the most memorable redemption stories in tennis history.
Novotna is not at the All England Club this year to celebrate the 20th anniversary of her triumph; she died in November at 49 after a long battle with ovarian cancer.