Former Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna dies at 49
PRAGUE, Czech Republic — Jana Novotna, who won the hearts of the tennis world by sobbing on the shoulder of a member of the British royal family after a tough loss in the Wimbledon final, has died at the age of 49.
The WTA announced Novotna’s death on Monday. The women’s tennis body said she died on Sunday after a long battle with cancer. Novotna died in her native Czech Republic surrounded by her family, the women’s tennis body said.
Her family confirmed her death to the Czech Republic’s CTK news agency.
Novotna won her only Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon in 1998, eventually triumphing after two losses in the final at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in 1993 and 1997. She also lost in the 1991 Australian Open final.