Linda Noskova’s Wimbledon victory was a dream come true, but her father’s latest comments show how difficult the journey was long before she became a Grand Slam champion. After the 21-year-old beat Karolina Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 to win her first major title, her father, Drahos Nosek, opened up about the family’s early years. Speaking to a Czech outlet, he recalled the financial hardships they faced while trying to build a better life for their daughter.
Linda Noskova’s father Drahos Nosek recalls the family’s toughest days
In his interview with iSport.cz, Nosek said he and his wife, Ivana Noskova, had to start their lives from scratch after both left previous marriages. They had no savings, no home of their own and struggled to pay everyday bills while raising Linda.He said, “We started, and we basically had nothing to eat and no place to live. My wife and I divorced from our previous marriages at that time, left all our property to the others, and started over. When Linda was born, I was three thousand in the red every month. My wife had nothing, I worked as a dispatcher, and I had to collect scrap metal to survive at all. It only got better when my parents died, the house was sold, and I paid my debts.” Nosek worked as a railway station dispatcher, while Ivana ran a small clothing shop in their hometown of Vsetin. Even with two jobs in the family, money remained tight. Still, they continued supporting Linda’s tennis dream and found ways to keep her training.Their sacrifices paid off. Noskova turned professional in 2019 and has steadily climbed the rankings. This season has become the biggest of her career. She first lifted the Berlin Open title before winning Wimbledon, her first Grand Slam championship.
Linda Noskova remembers her late mother after emotional Wimbledon victory
The Wimbledon title carried deep personal meaning for Noskova. Her mother, Ivana, died from cancer in July 2024, just before that year’s Wimbledon began. After lifting the trophy on Centre Court, Noskova made sure to remember her during her victory speech.She said, “There is also one more person that I would like to thank, which is my mom. I definitely would not be standing here without her, so thank you.” Her words left many in the crowd emotional, including tennis legend Martina Navratilova, who was seen wiping away tears from the Royal Box. Noskova’s win also continued the recent success of Czech women at Wimbledon. By defeating Karolina Muchova, she became the third Czech woman to lift the singles trophy in the last four years. The title also moved her into the world’s top seven, another major milestone in a season that has already changed her career.
