U.S.'s Navarro ousts defending Wimbledon champ

American Emma Navarro, 1 of 4 top-10 seeds near successful the women's draw, came backmost from a acceptable down to destruct defending Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 successful the 3rd circular Saturday.

Krejcikova faded successful the 3rd set, getting her humor unit checked astatine the changeover aft Navarro broke her to pb 3-2 astatine No. 1 Court.

Krejcikova ate a banana and drank liquids during the aesculapian check, portion Navarro walked to her impermanent container and spoke to her manager during the interruption successful action.

When play resumed, Krejcikova inactive appeared to beryllium successful distress, often leaning implicit and placing her hands connected her knees betwixt points.

Still, she managed to interruption close backmost to 3-all, earlier Navarro broke yet again and past held to pb 5-3. Two games later, it was over.

"It was truly pugnacious retired present today, astir apt neither of america played our champion tennis," the 10th-seeded Navarro said successful her on-court interview. "I cognize she was dealing with injuries astatine times; I was dealing with immoderate I was dealing with implicit there."

Most points were decided by what Krejcikova did. That's however she ended up with 34 winners -- 21 much than Navarro -- and 53 unforced errors. Remarkably, Navarro finished with conscionable 11 unforced errors.

Navarro volition beryllium making her 5th Round of 16 quality successful the past six majors, tied with Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff for the astir implicit that span. She adjacent faces No. 7 effect Mirra Andreeva of Russia.

With Krejcikova's loss, No. 8 Iga Swiatek is the lone erstwhile large champion near successful the bottommost fractional of the draw.

Whoever ends up winning the women's rubric connected July 12 volition beryllium the ninth champion successful the past 9 editions of the grass-court Grand Slam tourney -- the longest specified streak successful Wimbledon history. Serena Williams was the past repetition champ successful 2016.

The trophy-takers since past person been Garbine Muguruza successful 2017, Angelique Kerber successful 2018, Simona Halep successful 2019, Ash Barty successful 2021 -- each of whom are present retired -- Elena Rybakina successful 2022, Marketa Vondrousova successful 2023 and past Krejcikova. Rybakina besides mislaid Saturday, portion Vondrousova exited successful the 2nd round.

Last year's triumph was the 2nd astatine a large tourney for Krejcikova, who besides won the 2021 French Open and was the No. 17 effect astatine Wimbledon this year.

ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.