Wimbledon Champion Marketa Vondrousova: A year ago she was a tourist

Otherwise, they are mainly found in London shopping centres. “We were regular tourists, visited the London Eye and otherwise did a lot of shopping. I think five times,” Vondrousova said.

After a year there was no time for that. Because Vondrousova has played seven matches on the grass classic — and surprisingly, she was crowned Queen of Wimbledon on Saturday. “It’s indescribable,” said Vondrousova.

“A year ago I had a splint around my arm, and now I won Wimbledon,” she said a year later 6: 4, 6: 4 against Tunisia’s Anas Jabeur, who lost the Wimbledon final for the second time in a row and then was devastated.

She was so devastated that she asked for a hug from Princess Kate, wife of the heir to the throne, Prince William. “She obviously didn’t know whether or not she was going to hug me,” Jaber later reported of the scene with the princess. “I told her ‘hugs are always welcome'”. The 28-year-old added that Kate’s hug was a “very sweet moment.”

On the other hand, Vondrousova carried the trophy, the Venus Rosewater dish, simultaneously proudly and disbelievingly across the lawn. As the first unseeded player in the tournament’s history, she won the world’s most prestigious tennis event, adding another chapter to Wimbledon’s successful Czech history.

“Vondrousova joins the ranks of legends,” Sport.cz wrote. “Imagination Come True!” Title “MF Dennis”. Prior to Vondrousova, Czechs Jana Novotna (1998) and Petra Kvitova (2011) won the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

However, none of these victories were as surprising as Vondrousova’s. And of course Martina Navratilova, who became an American in 1981, was also born in the Czech Republic (and again since 2008).

Vondrousova wasn’t exactly known as a turf specialist before. “This was the most unlikely Grand Slam tournament I’ve ever won. And now it just happened,” said the left-hander, who is already a finalist at the 2019 French Open.

In 2021 she won the Olympic silver medal in Tokyo. However, she joined the ranks of major slam winners that no one expected. Such as Jelena Ostapenko (2017 French Open winner), Emma Radukano (2021 US Open winner) or Vondrousova’s compatriot Barbora Krejkova (2021 French Open winner).

Unheard of by many after that, Vondrousova could also be a one-hit marvel. But that didn’t matter to her at the moment of her greatest success. “I’ll have a few beers first,” said Vondrousova.

Her husband, Stjepan Simek, who previously had to take care of their cat Frankie, flew in private at the end. On Sunday (today) the two celebrate their first wedding anniversary. The couple could hardly have chosen a nicer place for this.