Linda Nosková’s Wimbledon Dream: Remembering Mom Ivana from a Tiny Village

A Small Girl with a Big Dream

Imagine you start playing a fun game in your local park at age 7, just for kicks, and years later you’re playing in the most famous sports match in the world! That’s what happened to Linda Nosková.

Today, Linda is playing in the Wimbledon finals (the championship match of a very famous tennis tournament) against her fellow Czech player (meaning someone from her own country), Karolína Muchová. As she plays, she is surely thinking of her late mother, Ivana, who passed away in summer 2024 after a long battle with cancer.

What Mom Ivana Said About the Journey

In early 2024, Ivana talked to a newspaper called Denik.cz about Linda’s tennis career. She was super proud and a bit shocked by how far Linda had come!

She said:

“I’m having a hard time finding words, it’s amazing, it’s like we’re living a beautiful dream! When Linda and I started going to the tennis courts at the age of seven, we never thought she would ever make it this far. We were expecting a normal, relaxed life with tennis.”

Here is how Linda’s family supported her, step by step:

1. Started early but casual: Linda and Ivana began tennis at age 7 just for fun.
2. Parental support at a mature age: Ivana and her husband (who were already at a more mature age) spent their time and drove Linda to tournaments, mainly during her school years.
3. Normal life: Linda comes from “normal circumstances” — not a rich or famous background, just a regular kid.
4. Big odds: They started playing relatively late and came from a village of only 200 people, competing against girls from big cities and wealthier families.

Important Point: Ivana noted that Linda and her team showed “incredible results considering the conditions she comes from.” She said, “We started relatively late, moreover from a village with two hundred inhabitants against girls from big cities and better-off families.”

Why Wimbledon Was Special to Ivana

Ivana loved Wimbledon (the grass-court tennis tournament in England) more than any other.

• She couldn’t go to the Australian Open because she was sick, and the long trip was too tiring. So, the family watched from home, kept their fingers crossed, and stayed in touch.
• In 2023, Ivana visited Wimbledon for the first time but said she couldn’t fully do it for health reasons. She looked forward to the unique grass game and the yummy tradition of strawberries with whipped cream.
• Sadly, Ivana passed away before Wimbledon 2024, so she isn’t here physically for today’s final, but Linda carries her memory in her heart.

Dad Drahos and Their Mountain Home

Linda’s father, Drahos Nosek, is retired. Ivana shared that he stays at their home in Bystřička (a small town in the Vsetín district of the Czech Republic), where he walks and cycles in the mountains.

When Linda won an award in 2022 for “the most successful athlete in the city of Přerov,” her father picked it up for her. He said:

“We never expected her to be in the top 100 so quickly. When you realize how many tennis players in the world are produced by Russia, America, China and other countries, and we from the Czech Republic, from a village, come into this, it’s more or less a shock.”

Linda’s Childhood: Lots of Play, Not Just Tennis!

Linda says her parents never forced only tennis on her. She told reporters ahead of the finals:

• She had maybe six, seven, or eight hobbies!
• These included gymnastics, horse riding, and basically every sport you can think of.
• Her parents just loved any kind of movement and exercise, so they encouraged all of it.

About the Writer

• Emily Burack (she/her) is the Deputy Digital Editor for Town & Country.
• She writes about entertainment, celebrities, royals, and many other topics.
• Before that, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site.
• You can follow her on social media @emburack.

Summary

Linda Nosková is living a “beautiful dream” by playing in the Wimbledon finals today. Her journey from a tiny village of 200 people to the world stage was supported by her loving parents, Ivana (who passed in 2024) and Drahos. Ivana always dreamed of Wimbledon and its strawberries, and though she isn’t here, her memory fuels Linda. Linda’s childhood was full of many sports, showing her parents just wanted her to be active and happy.

FAQ

1. Who is Linda Nosková playing against in the Wimbledon finals?
She is playing against her countrywoman (a fellow Czech citizen), Karolína Muchová.

2. What happened to Linda’s mother Ivana?
Ivana passed away in summer 2024 after a long battle with cancer. She was very proud of Linda’s tennis success.

3. Why couldn’t Ivana travel to the Australian Open?
Ivana was sick, and the long journey was too exhausting for her. She and the family watched the tournament from home instead.

4. Where is Linda’s family from?
They are from Bystřička, a small town in the Vsetín district of the Czech Republic. Linda grew up in a village with about 200 inhabitants.

5. Did Linda only play tennis as a kid?
No! Linda said she had six to eight hobbies, including gymnastics and horse riding, because her parents loved all kinds of physical activity.