By Yan Yiran

On October 12, the Tianyige Museum in Ningbo welcomed a special guest: Barbora Krejcikova, the 2024 Wimbledon Ladies' Singles champion and Ningbo Open competitor.

Krejcikova, who won the 2021 French Open and recently triumphed at Wimbledon in 2024, has also made her mark in doubles tennis as a "Golden Slam" champion, having claimed four Grand Slam doubles titles along with an Olympic gold medal in doubles.

Throughout the morning, Krejcikova toured the Tianyige Museum with a professional guide, showing great enthusiasm for its extensive collections. She took a particular interest in significant artifacts such as the Shenlong Version of the Stone Inscription, the Preface to the Poems Collected from the Orchid Pavilion (Lanting Xu), the intricate Bridal Sedan Chair (Wangongjiao), and the impressive Mingzhou Stele Forest.

As she strolled through the museum's scenic rockeries and pavilions, Krejcikova often paused to take souvenir photos, capturing the beauty of the historic surroundings. Along the way, she also met several excited fans, happily posing for photos with them.

"We've always supported Krejcikova and never expected to meet our idol here at the Tianyige Museum. We're overjoyed! We hope the Ningbo Open continues to thrive, bringing more opportunities to meet world-class players," said Mr. Jiang, an enthusiastic fan.

Krejcikova was equally delighted to meet her fans, saying she was happy to "bring them a better day".

For Krejcikova, the visit was both enriching and enjoyable. "I love Chinese history and culture, so this was a fantastic experience. I really like this ‘library museum' (Tianyige Museum)," she said, expressing admiration for the museum's rich sense of history and her fondness for Chinese architecture and gardens.

"This is my first visit to Ningbo," Krejcikova added, "I'm looking forward to the tournament and enjoying it with the Chinese fans."