Marketa Vondrousova’s sporting prowess was almost inevitable, given her mother was a professional volleyball player and her grandfather the Czech pentathlon champion. Her triumph at Wimbledon was anything but.
It was a picture that spoke a thousand words when Vondrousova collapsed to the turf after she smacked the winning shot cross-court in Saturday's final under the roof on Centre Court.
The 24-year-old was already the first unseeded women's finalist at Wimbledon in the Open era. Her 6-4, 6-4 win over last-year's runner-up Ons Jabeur made her the first unseeded women's Wimbledon champion.
Just as staggering is that Vondrousova had won just two matches on grass in her career before this season. Now she is the latest owner of the Venus Rosewater Dish.
It evoked memories of Emma Raducanu's fairytale 2021 US Open run when she did not drop a set despite being the first women's or men's qualifier in the Open era to become a Grand Slam semi-finalist. And then finalist. And then champion.
TV cameras caught Vondrousova's younger sister in tears of disbelief minutes before the Czech world No42 clinched the match that will surely come to define her career.
Her victory was a welcome change — her cultured brand of tennis a departure from the big-hitting that so often dominates the tour.
Vondrousova reached the 2019 French Open Final when she was 19, but a persistent injury in her left wrist has since plagued her.
Last year, Vondrousova was unable to even compete at Wimbledon. She was sidelined between April and October following surgery and finished 2022 ranked 99th.
But having got herself into Saturday's final by beating players such as Elina Svitolina and fourth seed Jessica Pegula, she was determined to enjoy it.
"It's crazy — I didn't play well before on grass", she admitted. "My coach told me after the final: 'I couldn't believe how calm you were'." 'Calm' could not be attributed to Jabeur, though. If last year's final — when she went a set up to the unfancied Elena Rybakina — was the one that got away, this was the one that never got started.
She had woken up so nervous on Saturday morning that she had to be told to change when she came out to practise wearing black, having forgotten SW19’s all-white rule.
Jabeur has been dubbed the 'Minister for Happiness' back home in Tunisia, but she was a picture of angst and anxiety throughout the final.
The world No6 led 2-0 in the first set and 3-1 in the second, but it felt that she was always fighting a losing battle, as much with herself as with Vondrousova.
Jabeur seemed to freeze. Just 48 per cent of her first serves were in, and she converted only four of her 10 break points, compared to her opponent's six from seven.
After defeats in successive Wimbledon finals and last year's US Open final, she has now lost three Grand Slam finals without winning one.
But Andy Murray, Ivan Lendl and Kim Clijsters all lost four before finally getting over the line. It was therefore fitting that Clijsters joined Jabeur in the locker room afterwards to try to lift her at her lowest.
"I love Kim so much", she said. "She's a great inspiration for me. The fact she takes the time to give me advice is priceless."
Jabeur called it "the most painful loss of my career", but she could scarcely be knocking on the door more loudly. On her route to the final, she defeated four Grand Slam champions in Bianca Andreescu, Petra Kvitova, Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka.
The last step is raising her level at the final hurdle. Vondrousova knows all about that.
