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Linda Nosková conquers Wimbledon for first Grand Slam title in all-Czech final

(CNN) — Linda Nosková defeated Karolína Muchová in three sets 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 to claim her first Grand Slam women’s singles title in the all-Czech Republic final at Wimbledon on Saturday.

After dominating the opening set 6-2 and leading 5-2 in the second, the No. 9 seed Nosková saw five championship points slip away as No. 10 seed Muchová put on a stunning comeback clinic to steal the set 7-5.

However, the 21-year-old Noskova regrouped in the decider to weather the storm and capture the title in her first major final appearance.

With the victory, Nosková etched her name into the history books as the youngest Wimbledon women’s champion since fellow Czech Petra Kvitova lifted the trophy in 2011 at 21 years and 116 days old.

The battle on Centre Court was already guaranteed to be a historic milestone as it marked the first time in the Open Era that two women representing the Czech Republic squared off for a major singles title.

It also treated the London crowd to a rare single-nation final and the first at the All England Club since the iconic 2009 all-American championship match where Serena Williams topped Venus Williams.

Nosková becomes the third Czech woman in the last four years to hoist the coveted Venus Rosewater Dish, following Marketa Vondrousova in 2023 and Barbora Krejcikova in 2024.

During the post-match ceremony, a visibly emotional Noskova smiled as she adjusted her grip on the iconic silverware, admitting to the crowd, “I don’t know how to hold it, so that’s the first thing. It feels incredible.”

Reflecting on the grueling match and the history made alongside her compatriot and friend, Noskova praised Muchova for the fierce battle while highlighting that the day was a massive win for their entire nation, no matter who walked away with the trophy.

“All these matches have been so tough, so physically or mentally tough. … It’s never easy to get the last point. (Karolina), you really made me work for it,” Noskova said. “I’m so glad that I could play my first Grand Slam final with you.

“I think we made history today. I believe that all our Czech fans at home are proud of us, so no matter the result today, I think it was a good day for both of us.”

The 29-year-old Muchová fought valiantly, saving five match points and forcing a third set, but would ultimately finish as a Grand Slam runner-up for the second time in her career, having previously finished second at the 2023 Roland Garros final against Iga Swiatek.

The heartbreak of falling just short of her maiden maiden title was visibly heavy on Muchová during the trophy ceremony. The 29-year-old broke down in tears as she looked up at her support box, pausing to apologize to the crowd as the gravity of the moment took over.

“Even though I’m pretty disappointed now, but when I look to my corner … Sorry. I’m sorry, it’s emotional,” Muchová said, fighting back tears. “When I look to my corner, I have all my friends and family who canceled their plans and came here today for me. I appreciate it a lot.”

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

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Trump’s DC beautification push navigates troubled waters

(CNN) — At a ceremony in front of the iconic cascading fountain at Meridian Hill Park in Washington, DC, earlier this month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and top US officials touted President Donald Trump’s efforts to make the city “safe and beautiful.”But less than two weeks later, the historic park that served as Hegseth’s backdrop has become the latest hurdle President Donald Trump is facing in his mission to give the nation’s capital a facelift, as the water in the 13-basin fountain has turned into a murky, rust-orange hue.The fountain had been devoid of water for seven years before the Trump administration repaired and reopened it in May in a $4 million renovation that delighted residents. After the renovation, residents flocked to the park in the evenings, sitting on the steps bordering the fountain, having picnics, and reading books.But this week, parkgoers observed a brown color overtaking the reservoirs.“It looks like mud,” said James Langan, a New York resident visiting DC.The fixture at Meridian Hill Park is one of nine fountains being returned to service under Trump’s March 2025 executive order calling to make DC “safe and beautiful” coinciding with preparations for the nation’s 250th anniversary. When CNN visited the nine fountains scattered across DC this week, only one appeared to still be inoperable, and two had brown-colored water.Some residents and visitors said they welcomed running water at Meridian Hill Park, despite the coloring.“Whenever I’d like come here before, I was kind of disappointed that the water was never on, and it was kind of like overrun with trash,” Washington, DC, resident Jedi Sworobuk told CNN. “I think it’s nice to have, especially in the heat in the summer.”The Interior Department told CNN on Tuesday evening that the brown water at Meridian Hill Park is “sediment as a result of the reopening of two water lines that had been out of service for some time,” noting it expected the water to run clean in the next 24 to 36 hours.A CNN crew observed workers cleaning the cascading basins on Wednesday, following social media buzz about the browning water.On Saturday, the pools of water were still murky, but less orange.The Interior Department did not respond to a request for comment on Saturday on the state of the Meridian Hill fountain, and on the fountains at the General Philip Sheridan statue in Sheridan Circle, which were inactive.The fountain at Meridian Hill Park caught the attention of Alexandra McKenna, a London resident who traveled to DC and made the park a stop on her trip.“It looks pretty gross,” McKenna said, laughing.McKenna pointed to the water at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, which has also generated headlines in recent weeks, adding, “It’s kind of a thing going on in Washington at the moment.”The Meridian Hill Park scramble comes after the Reflecting Pool saga dominated conversations in Washington. After Trump called for the pool’s renovation in April, the more than $14 million project has taken on a lifecycle of draining, painting, filling and peeling.Trump alleged vandals gashed the pool’s lining. In recent weeks, at least three people were charged with destruction of property after allegedly removing pieces of blue paint from the pool, and a former Olympian was indicted on that allegation. The canoeist, David Hearn, pleaded not guilty.During a May Cabinet meeting, Trump said most of the fountains were in final stages or fixed.In his recent July Fourth address on the National Mall, Trump declared the city “safe, gleaming, and beautiful again,” though some beautification projects, like the Reflecting Pool, appear to be in progress.The National Park Service said work to restore and rehabilitate historic landscapes will occur in phases, noting that the public may experience closures or limited access at certain sites.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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