Former Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna dies at 49

Czech tennis player, Jana Novotna, who won the 1998 women’s singles at the Wimbledon, has passed away at the age of 49.

Jana Novotna defeated Nathalie Tauziat in the 1998 final at the Wimbledon and also won 24 more singles titles on the WTA tour.

Czech tennis player, Jana Novotna, who won the 1998 women’s singles at the Wimbledon, has passed away at the age of 49.

A statement from the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) confirmed it on Sunday. “After a long battle with cancer, Jana died peacefully, surrounded by her family in her native Czech Republic, aged 49,” the statement read.

Novotna defeated Nathalie Tauziat in the 1998 final at the Wimbledon and also won 24 more singles titles on the WTA tour. She also had 12 Grand Slam doubles titles in her kitty and a further four grand slam mixed doubles crowns. The International Tennis Hall of Fame inducted her in 2005.