“I gave it everything”: Pohánková’s run ends in Wimbledon glory

Slovak teenager Mia Pohánková clinched the girls’ singles title at Wimbledon on Saturday, delivering a statement performance to defeat American sixth seed Juliete Pareja 6–3, 6–1 and claim her maiden Grand Slam crown.

The 16-year-old becomes only the fourth Slovak in history to lift a junior Grand Slam singles title in the post-independence era, following in the footsteps of Renáta Jamrichová, Tereza Mihalíková, and Kristína Kučová. Her run also marks a second consecutive Wimbledon girls’ singles title for Slovakia, after Jamrichová’s triumph last year.

Pohánková, coached by Róbert Gašparetz, showcased nerves of steel and supreme tactical maturity on the All England Club’s grass, where she dropped just one set throughout the tournament.

Clinical and composed

The final began with an early setback for Pohánková, who was broken in the third game as Pareja looked to assert her aggressive baseline game. But the Slovak responded with impressive composure, winning five consecutive games to take the opening set, breaking Pareja twice and closing it out on her first set point.

The second set was a display of complete control. Pohánková surged to a 3–0 lead and, after briefly surrendering her serve in the fourth game, responded with another surge – winning the next three games and sealing the match on her first championship point.

Her only dropped set of the tournament came in the fourth round against Brazil’s Nauhany Vitoria Leme Da Silva.

Mia Pohánková returns to Julieta Pareja of the U.S. during the final of the girls singles at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Saturday, 12 July 2025. (source: TASR/AP )

“I gave it everything”

Speaking after her victory, Pohánková was quick to reflect on the significance of her win and the challenges she overcame along the way.

“It’s incredible to follow on from Renča Jamrichová’s win last year,” she told the Slovak Tennis Association. “For two Slovak girls to win Wimbledon in back-to-back years is amazing. I didn’t have an easy draw – I had to face the US Open champion [Mika] Stojsavljević in the first round.”

“I just took it one match at a time. I beat the world No 1 [Emerson Jones] in the quarter-finals, and the semi-final against [Vendula] Valdmannová was very tough too. Even today, I knew Pareja would be dangerous – she won the warm-up in Roehampton.”

“But I believed in myself, gave it everything I had, and I’m just so happy it paid off. After going out in the first round at Roehampton, I didn’t expect this – but maybe it meant I had more left in the tank for Wimbledon.”

“Indescribable emotions”

Her coach, Róbert Gašparetz, was full of praise for his player’s resilience and mentality throughout the tournament.

“The emotions are indescribable,” he said. “Mia managed to turn around a difficult situation at 1–3 in the first set, and that really settled her. Once she moved ahead, she started to play her best tennis.”

“She had a brief dip in the second set but handled it brilliantly. I think Renáta’s win last year was a big source of inspiration for her. I hope this now inspires more of our players to believe that success is possible.”

“A phenomenal achievement”

Slovak Tennis Association Secretary General Igor Moška hailed the victory as a defining moment for Slovak sport.

“What Mia has achieved is phenomenal,” Moška said. “She showed great composure, beat several top players, and captured the most prestigious title in junior tennis. The way she played in the final rounds – in the quarters, semis, and final – was simply outstanding.”

“This is a huge moment for Mia, her coach, and for Slovak tennis as a whole. We have a new generation of talented players, and this is further proof that they can go on to succeed at the highest level.”