Karolina Muchova was understandably devastated as she accepted her runner-up trophy following a dramatic Wimbledon final against fellow Czech Linda Noskova.
The 29-year-old was riding a 10-match winning streak into the final after her grasscourt triumph in Bad Homburg the week before Wimbledon.
She was also on a nine-match winning streak against Czechs, having not lost to a compatriot in nearly four years.
In her second Grand Slam final and her fifth ‘big’ tournament decider – majors plus WTA 1000s – she was the more experienced player compared to Noskova, eight years her junior.
Yet despite saving five championship points in a thrilling second-set comeback, she again came up just short, having also lost in three sets in the 2023 Roland Garros final.
“I'm feeling sad as well now, disappointed,” said Muchova, who wept on court during the trophy presentation. “I don't want to say it's similar matches, but three-setters.
“I felt I had some chances, I could take it on my side, and I didn't. Yeah, definitely disappointed.”
While Muchova acknowledged it could take a few days to let go of those feelings, she was still able to appreciate more broadly the significance of her run.
It was remarkable she was even featuring at this stage of the tournament, considering her injury-ravaged career and the fact she arrived on a five-match losing streak at Wimbledon, exiting in the first round in her previous four campaigns.
This year she beat three multiple major champions – Barbora Krejcikova, Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff – in consecutive matches to reach the final, coming ever-so-close to losing to Gauff before saving a match point and triumphing in a third-set tiebreak.
The thrill of that semifinal victory was countered by the fact it left her depleted for the final. This, coupled with nerves, meant Muchova felt she couldn’t produce her best in Saturday’s finale.
“I think today was one of my worst matches, I would say, from this tournament,” she said. “On the other hand, again, credit to Linda. She played well and it made it tough for me.
“I'd say after the semifinals, it was pretty tough match. I definitely felt it physically. I didn't want to think of it. I was like, ‘OK, I'm going to give it my all’.
“The nerves, as well. I really, really wanted to win today. So maybe it tied my hands a little bit today from the start.”
Muchova nevertheless leaves SW19 with even more to celebrate.
She is expected to rise to a career-high ranking of world No.6 and by beating Osaka in the quarterfinals, she has now reached the semifinals at all four major tournaments, joining a select group of active players.
“I was in the finals. It's still [a] pretty great achievement. It's still something I would take before the tournament,” Muchova said.
“I think my game is good. I'm improving. So I feel good on the court. It's a dream of mine, it's a goal of mine to lift that Grand Slam trophy.
“This is a setback, but as well a motivation.”