Marketa Vondrousova says she started Wimbledon this year thinking it would be the most impossible grand slam tournament to win. She has instead left it with her first major title after closing off a brilliant fortnight with victory.
On Saturday, Vondrousova defeated Ons Jabeur, the sixth seed, 6-4, 6-4 to win her first grand slam title at Wimbledon. The Czech, ranked world No 42, is the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon in the Open era. She missed the tournament last year after wrist surgery that required a six- month layoff.
“When I was coming back, I didn’t know what’s going to happen, if I can play at that level again,” she said. “This seems impossible. On grass I didn’t play well before. It was the most impossible grand slam for me to win, so I didn’t even think of it.
“When we came, I was like, ‘try to win couple of matches’. Now this happened, it’s crazy.”
Vondrousova’s glee was contrasted by Jabeur’s sadness after losing her third grand slam final. While the Tunisian had been able to maintain a brave face in public last year, this year she had tears in her eyes during a difficult press conference. Jabeur said she had been consoled by Kim Clijsters, who had lost her first four grand slam finals before winning four.
“I already lost two finals, and this is the third one,” she said. “I felt I was doing everything right. Again, with the same thing that happened last year … it’s painful because you feel so close to achieving something that you want, and actually back to square one. Just try to get rid of these negative thoughts and continue being positive.”
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Vondrousova has had a number of runner-up finishes, having lost in the final of the French Open to Ash Barty in 2019 at 19 years old, before losing to Belinda Bencic in the Tokyo Olympics gold-medal match.
The 24-year-old had won two main draw matches on grass at the beginning of the grass season. “It’s unbelievable. Nobody would have told you this before when we were coming here that I even have a chance to win.
“I was unseeded. It’s such a crazy journey. I can’t believe it still.”
