Barbora Krejcikova, the 31st seed from the Czech Republic, captured her second Grand Slam title at Wimbledon on Saturday, defeating Italy's seventh seed Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 in the final.
The victory marked a significant milestone in Krejcikova's career, adding to her 2021 French Open triumph.
Krejcikova dominated the first set with aggressive play, winning 6-2. However, Paolini, known for her fighting spirit, rallied back in the second set, winning 6-2 and pushing the match to a decider. The third set was a tense battle, with Krejcikova breaking Paolini's serve at 3-3 due to a double fault. Serving for the title at 5-4, Krejcikova showed nerves of steel, saving two break points and eventually clinching the victory on her third match point.
Krejcikova's win was deeply emotional, particularly because of her connection to her late mentor, Jana Novotna, who won Wimbledon in 1998 and passed away in 2017. Reflecting on her journey, Krejcikova said, "Knocking on her door changed my life. Jana told me I had the potential and should turn professional. Before she passed away, she told me I could win a Grand Slam. Achieving this at Wimbledon, where she won, is beyond words."
Krejcikova plays a forehand against Paolini during the women's singles final on Saturday. (Photo: Getty Images)
Krejcikova's tears flowed as she saw Novotna's name on the honours board. "The only thing going through my head was that I miss Jana a lot. It was a very emotional moment to see my name next to hers," she said.
Krejcikova's path to the final was marked by resilience as she faced a series of tough opponents, starting with a gruelling first-round match against Russia's Veronika Kudermetova, which she won 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (1/7), 7-5.
She continued her campaign with victories over Katie Volynets (7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/5)), Jessica Bouzas Maneiro (6-0, 4-3 retired), and Danielle Collins (7-5, 6-3).
In the quarter-finals, Krejcikova overcame Jelena Ostapenko (6-4, 7-6 (7/4)) and then staged a comeback to defeat 2022 champion Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals (3-6, 6-3, 6-4).
Paolini, on the other hand, had an impressive run to the final, defeating Sara Sorribes Tormo (7-5, 6-3), Greet Minnen (7-6 (7/5), 6-2), Bianca Andreescu (7-6 (7/4), 6-1), and Madison Keys (6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 5-5 retired).
She then convincingly beat Emma Navarro (6-2, 6-1) in the quarter-finals and won a marathon semi-final against Donna Vekic (2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (10/8)).
Despite the loss, Paolini's journey to the final was remarkable. She became the first Italian woman to reach the Wimbledon final and had a historic run, including winning the longest women's singles semi-final in Wimbledon history against Vekic.
Paolini poses with her ladies' singles runner-up trophy. (Photo: Getty Images)
Paolini, who reached her second Grand Slam final this year after the French Open, remained positive. "I try to keep smiling because I have to remember today is still a good day. I made the final of Wimbledon," she said. "It's unbelievable. I just did two finals in two Grand Slams. I have to be happy with the results, even though I'm a little bit disappointed."
Born in Brno, Krejcikova began playing tennis at age six and has had a successful career in both singles and doubles.
She has won 14 singles and 19 doubles titles on the ITF Circuit. In 2021, she completed a singles and doubles sweep at the French Open, becoming the first to do so since Mary Pierce in 2000.
Krejcikova also won a gold medal in doubles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and has multiple Grand Slam doubles titles, including two at Wimbledon.
Krejcikova's victory at Wimbledon is set to propel her back into the top 10 in singles rankings.
For Paolini, the focus remains on maintaining her high level of play and aiming for future Grand Slam titles.
(With inputs from AFP and Reuters)
Kim, Kanye, North and Saint West out in NYC Twitter/KimKFan
Anurag Bajpayee's Gradiant: The water company tackling a global crisis
In a world increasingly defined by scarcity, one resource is emerging as the most quietly decisive factor in the future of industry, sustainability, and even geopolitics: water. Yet, while the headlines are dominated by energy transition and climate pledges, few companies working behind the scenes on water issues have attracted much public attention. One of them is Gradiant, a Boston-based firm that has, over the past decade, grown into a key player in the underappreciated but critical sector of industrial water treatment.
A Company Born from MIT, and from Urgency
Founded in 2013 by Anurag Bajpayee and Prakash Govindan, two researchers with strong ties to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Gradiant began as a scrappy start-up with a deceptively simple premise: make water work harder. At a time when discussions about climate change were centred almost exclusively on carbon emissions and renewable energy, the trio saw water scarcity looming in the background.
Their insight was that some of the world’s largest industries—semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food and beverage—were facing acute water-related challenges long before the general public grasped the issue. “Without water, these industries don’t just slow down; they stop,” Bajpayee has often remarked. What Gradiant offered was not just a way to save water, but a way to rethink how it is used, recycled, and valued.
The Engineers Behind the Mission
Anurag Bajpayee, the company’s CEO, whose academic path took him to MIT, where he completed a PhD in Mechanical Engineering focused on water treatment technologies. It was there that he met Govindan, a fellow engineer and now Gradiant's co-founder and COO, whose expertise complemented his in fluid mechanics and process engineering.
Unlike many founders who drift towards the language of venture capital and corporate strategy, Anurag Bajpayee and his team remained grounded in the technical problem: how to make industrial water treatment more efficient, more affordable, and more sustainable. The company still bears the imprint of its founders’ engineering roots. Gradiant is less Silicon Valley startup and more MIT lab, albeit one that has quietly expanded across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America.
What Gradiant Actually Does
The company specializes in designing and building bespoke water treatment and reuse systems for industrial clients. Its technologies are aimed at enabling factories and plants to reclaim water that would otherwise be discarded as waste, reducing both the amount of water withdrawn from natural sources and the volume of contaminated water discharged.
At the heart of Gradiant’s portfolio are proprietary technologies such as Counter Flow Reverse Osmosis (CFRO), Carrier Gas Extraction (CGE) and Selective Ion Recovery (SIR), developed from the Gradiant founders’ early research at MIT. Unlike traditional methods like reverse osmosis, these systems are designed to handle highly contaminated or complex wastewater streams, enabling clients to extract clean water even from previously unusable sources.
But Gradiant does not sell “one-size-fits-all” machines. Each project is tailored to the customer’s unique needs. For a semiconductor plant in Singapore, this might mean achieving ultrapure water reuse levels of 98%; for a food and beverage factory in Texas, it might be about safely treating wastewater for discharge while minimising energy consumption. The company's approach—sometimes called "solutioneering" internally—is both its competitive advantage and its raison d'être.
Expansion Without the Usual Hype
Gradiant’s growth has been quietly impressive. From its first commercial project in the oil and gas sector, it has gone on to complete over 500 installations worldwide. The company has raised more than $400 million in funding from a mix of institutional investors and private equity firms, achieving so-called “unicorn” status, with a valuation reportedly over $1 billion.
Unlike many green tech firms, Gradiant’s expansion has not been accompanied by flashy marketing campaigns or grandiose statements. Instead, the company has preferred to build credibility client by client, particularly in Asia, where water-intensive industries and growing environmental pressures make its services indispensable. Anurag Bajpayee, never one to speak in superlatives, frames the company’s expansion as a “response to urgent need” rather than a triumph of business.
Inside Gradiant’s Operations
At its core, Gradiant is still an engineering-first company. Anurag Bajpayee and Govindan, both technically trained and heavily involved in the company’s operations, have instilled a culture where R&D is not just a department but the lifeblood of the business. The firm currently holds more than 250 patents globally, a testament to its ongoing commitment to innovation.
But Gradiant’s success is not just about technology. The company has differentiated itself by offering not just equipment but full-service solutions, including project design, construction, operations, and maintenance. This full-stack approach has been particularly attractive to clients in highly regulated industries, who need water management solutions that work seamlessly and reliably without requiring deep in-house expertise.
Gradiant’s clients include some of the world’s largest manufacturers, including Fortune 500 companies in sectors like microelectronics, pharmaceuticals, and energy. Some, like semiconductor producers, rely on Gradiant to help them meet stringent water reuse targets while maintaining ultra-clean production environments.
Navigating a Changing World
Gradiant operates at the intersection of several converging trends: climate change, regulatory pressure, and industrial decarbonisation. In many regions, water scarcity has become the limiting factor for industrial growth, sometimes more than energy availability or supply chain constraints.
While public attention often focuses on domestic water use, it is industries that consume the lion’s share of freshwater. Gradiant's pitch is straightforward: industries will have to do more with less, and Gradiant offers the tools to make that possible.
Anurag Bajpayee is keenly aware of the paradox that water, despite being vital, is often underpriced and undervalued, especially when compared to energy. “We don’t pay what it’s worth, only what it costs,” he told an audience at a recent conference. Yet, the landscape is shifting. Regulators, investors, and companies themselves are increasingly acknowledging water as both a business risk and a social responsibility.
What's Next for Gradiant?
Looking ahead, Gradiant appears poised to play a central role as industries adapt to water scarcity. Yet, Anurag Bajpayee remains cautious about the hype cycle. "The problem we’re working on isn’t going anywhere," he says. "It’s not a question of innovation alone, but of execution—of making sure these solutions actually reach the places that need them most."
In an era where water risk is increasingly material to business, Gradiant’s quiet, technically grounded approach may prove to be exactly what is needed.
(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Eastern Eye. The publication does not endorse or take responsibility for the accuracy of any statements made by the author.)