Barbora Krejcikova feels "privileged" to be defending her Wimbledon crown as she prepares for the third grand slam of the season.

Krejcikova was a surprise victor at the All England Club last year, as she downed Jasmine Paolini in the final.

It marked the second grand slam title of Krejcikova's career, following her French Open success in 2021.

Yet the 29-year-old has been unable to kick on since her victory at SW19 and has not won a title on the WTA Tour since then.

Injuries have hampered the Czech, who is seeded 17th and will face the dangerous Alexandra Eala in round one.

However, she is nevertheless ready to mount a title defence, though she is nursing an issue that led to her withdrawing from the Eastbourne Open.

She said: "It feels great. I feel very happy and really privileged that I can be in this position. It’s tough and complicated after all the time I’ve been out, but not difficult.

"[After Eastbourne] I had to have a couple days off where I didn't really play any tennis, but I did some off-court stuff. I've been feeling a little bit better, so I'm really happy with that.

"I hope by Tuesday, everything's going to be fine. I hope I'm going to have a nice match and a great tournament."

The finishing touches before The Championships get under way #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/SPjZlFmSxS

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 29, 2025

The reigning women's singles champion at Wimbledon has lost in the opening round only twice in the Open Era, with Steffi Graf losing her first match in 1994 and Marketa Vondrousova going out early last year.

Krejcikova, meanwhile, conceded 76 games en route to winning the title last season, which is a high mark in the Open Era.

Reflecting on her shock 6-2 2-6 6-4 win over Paolini, Krejcikova added: "The moment I remember most clearly was winning the match point and looking at my box. I couldn’t believe I was about to be handed the trophy. Everything was amazing, like a fairytale.

"I have great memories but basically now it’s a new tournament, even though I won it last year. The preparation is the same. I’ve been working really hard to come back and be here, and enjoy it. I want to do well again."