Noskova: "Serena Williams has been my biggest inspiration"

Fernando Murciego | 13 Mar 2026 | 17.00

Noskova: "My biggest inspiration has always been Serena Williams". Source: Getty

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Although her name has been circulating in the top ranks for some time, the name of Linda Noskova is still a great unknown to the public. This Indian Wells 2026 tournament may put an end to this reality.

Reaching the semifinals should already be a serious matter, but the real test comes tonight. After a brilliant week, Linda Noskova will face off against Aryna Sabalenka for a spot in the Indian Wells final, a match that will truly determine the Czech's current situation. Yesterday, for example, she had more trouble than expected defeating Talia Gibson, a topic she later discussed in detail in her interview with the Tennis Channel. At just 21 years old, Noskova is just two steps away from breaking into the top 10, but she must address her poor record in important matches to achieve that. Tonight's match belongs to this group.

Hard-fought victory against Gibson

"Truth be told, Talia had everything going for her, absolutely no pressure, I saw her hitting with great freedom. You know how difficult it is when it seems like all the pressure is on you, that's why these types of matches are always the toughest. Today, I struggled at times to find my rhythm, especially against an opponent who serves as powerfully as she does. Breaking her serve seemed impossible, in the second set it was brutal, so I experienced moments of frustration wanting the game to go my way, but there were games where I couldn't even return the ball. I had to control myself a bit and start over in the third set."

The tipping factor

"I'm not sure to what extent experience helped me in this match because this time it could have gone either way. Obviously, if I hadn't held all my service games in the third set, she could have broken me at least once, but the same could have happened in the second set. I definitely needed to find that service solidity, focus from the start, and finish the match as well as I did in the first set."

Linda Noskova reveals her greatest inspiration

"My inspiration has been Serena Williams, of course. For me, she is the best tennis player in history, but I've also been greatly influenced by Petra Kvitova in the Czech Republic. She has always been at the top throughout her career, so she's been on my favorites list since I started playing tennis. My family is very tennis-oriented, so it has always been present."

Living without goals brings more peace

"I don't set big goals for myself, right now I don't have any in mind. I focus more on the process, I want to enjoy my time on the court, to feel myself every time I step onto the court. I want to find my best version in as many tournaments as possible. It's not easy, it never has been, and I feel like it never will be, but I don't set other standards or goals for the next season or tournament. To me, it wouldn't make sense. I just know that when I trust my game, I can compete against the top players and achieve great results."

Semifinal showdown with Sabalenka

"We both have aggressive styles, we both want to make good use of our serves. Aryna is an incredible player, what can I say, I admire her in many aspects. She has been very consistent over all these years, so it will definitely be a great challenge for me. I'll enter the court trying to think of it as a first-round match, I need to keep this idea in mind, point by point. I'm not usually very superstitious, but sometimes I have to be."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Noskova: “Mi mayor inspiración ha sido Serena Williams"