Wimbledon 2021 Final: How to Watch Ashleigh Barty vs. Karolína Plíšková Live
A first-time winner will be crowned at Wimbledon on Saturday when world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty meets No. 8 seed Karolína Plíšková in the final of the women's tournament.
Barty defeated 2018 Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) in the semifinals on Thursday to reach her first Wimbledon final and become the first Australian woman to play in the final of the oldest Grand Slam tournament since Evonne Goolagong defeated Chris Evert in straight sets in 1980.
Plíšková, meanwhile, came back from one set down to beat world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 to become the first player from the Czech Republic since Petra Kvitová won the second of her Wimbledon titles in 2014 to make the final in southwest London.
Like Barty, Plíšková, a former world No. 1, will be making her first appearance in a Wimbledon final on Saturday.
To find the last time two first-time finalists met in a Wimbledon women's singles final, one has to go back all the way to 1977 when Britain's Virginia Wade beat Betty Stöve of the Netherlands in three sets.
Saturday's final will be the second appearance in a Grand Slam final for both Barty and Plíšková.
The latter lost to Kerber in the 2016 U.S. Open final, while the former defeated Markéta Vondroušová in the 2019 French Open final.
Barty has so far lived up to her tag of pre-tournament favorite, progressing through every round with straight-set wins after dropping a set in her opening match.
"I get the chance on Saturday to live out a total dream," the Australian told BBC Sport.
"I have had ups, downs and everything in between on this journey. There's a lot of things which have led to this point. To play in the final at Wimbledon on Saturday will be the best thing ever."
Plíšková struck a similar tone. The No. 8 seed had never made it past the fourth round at Wimbledon and in June lost her spot among the world's top-10 ranked players for the first time in almost five years.
"Until now, I hadn't passed the fourth round and now I'm in the final," she said.
"I think it's an incredible achievement."
Here's all you need to know ahead of Saturday.
How to Watch the Wimbledon Final on TV
Coverage of the women's final begins at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN on Saturday.
How to Watch the Wimbledon Final Online
Fans can watch the action online via ESPN3, ESPN+ as well as via the WatchESPN app. The match will also be available via streaming services such as fuboTV and Sling TV, which carry ESPN channels.
Wimbledon Final Odds
Pre-tournament favorite Ashleigh Barty remains the woman to beat in the eyes of the bookmakers. The world No. 1 is a 2-5 favorite with William Hill, while Karolína Plíšková is a 2-1 outsider.
