Barbora Krejcikova confident before Wimbledon title defence: Definitely not difficult

Defending champion Barbora Krejcikova showed no signs of pressure as she prepared to begin her Wimbledon title defence at the All England Club. Last year, the 29-year-old defeated Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the final to claim the prestigious grass-court title - her second Grand Slam after winning the French Open in 2021.

Seeded 17th this year, Krejcikova opens her campaign against 20-year-old Alexandra Eala of the Philippines, the recent runner-up at the Eastbourne Open. The Czech star said she is happy to return as the defending champion.

"It's definitely not difficult (returning as defending champion). It's actually very, very nice to be here and very nice to play, even after all the time I was out," Krejcikova told the reporters.

"So I'm enjoying it, I'm happy to be here. I find it tough, complicated, but I don't find it difficult. I'm very much looking forward to play on Tuesday.”

Krejcikova hasn’t had the most encouraging start to the current grass-court season. She suffered a Round of 32 exit at the HSBC Championships, losing to Rebeca Sramkova, and later withdrew from the Eastbourne Open due to a thigh injury.

Since her Wimbledon triumph last year, the Czech star hasn’t added another title to her name. However, she insisted that she has been putting in the hard work to deliver a strong performance this year.

"It's basically a new tournament, even though I won it last year and I have great memories for this one. I want to come here and do well again. The preparation is the same, I've been working really hard to come back and to enjoy this position,” Krejcikova added.

Eala is expected to pose a stern challenge for Krejcikova in the first round. The rising Filipino star showcased her class at the Miami Open earlier this year, where she defeated three Grand Slam champions in succession - Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek.