{"id":13883,"date":"2017-11-20T12:41:00","date_gmt":"2017-11-20T12:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/associatednews.us\/content\/2017\/11\/20\/jana-novotna-acrobatic-athlete-who-won-17-grand-slams-dies-at-49\/"},"modified":"2017-11-20T12:41:00","modified_gmt":"2017-11-20T12:41:00","slug":"jana-novotna-acrobatic-athlete-who-won-17-grand-slams-dies-at-49","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/associatednews.us\/content\/jana-novotna-acrobatic-athlete-who-won-17-grand-slams-dies-at-49\/","title":{"rendered":"Jana Novotn\u00e1, 'Acrobatic Athlete' Who Won 17 Grand Slams, Dies At 49"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Colin Dwyer<\/a><\/span> <\/p>\n

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\n Jana Novotn\u00e1 unloads a backhand during the finals of the 1997 Chase Championships, which she ultimately won. Novotna, who also would go on to win Wimbledon in 1998, died Sunday at age 49.<\/p>\n

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Stan Honda\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

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Stan Honda\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

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Jana Novotn\u00e1, the Czech tennis star who took home 17 Grand Slam championship trophies across the span of her career, died Sunday at the age of 49. The Women’s Tennis Association announced the news “with deep sadness” on Monday, saying Novotn\u00e1 died surrounded by family in the Czech Republic after waging “a long battle with cancer.”<\/p>\n

“Jana was an inspiration both on and off court to anyone who had the opportunity to know her,” WTA chief executive Steve Simon said in a statement<\/a>. “Her star will always shine brightly in the history of the WTA. Our condolences and our thoughts are with Jana’s family.”<\/p>\n

By the end of her career on the court, Novotn\u00e1 had claimed 17 Grand Slam titles \u2014 all but one of which were won with a partner in doubles and mixed doubles competition. That one exception came on tennis’ most storied stage: the grass courts of the All England Club, where she won the 1998 Wimbledon singles title.<\/p>\n

“The victory made her the oldest winner of a first major singles title in history,” notes the International Tennis Hall of Fame<\/a>, which honored her with induction in 2005. Novotn\u00e1’s record was soon overtaken, but her achievement at Wimbledon has not been forgotten.<\/p>\n