Markéta Vondroušová had defied the odds at Wimbledon for the past two weeks and the Czech did it again in Saturday’s women’s final, beating favorite Ons Jabeur to become the first unseeded woman in the Open Era to win the famous tournament.
Playing in her second Grand Slam final, the world No. 42 beat No. 6 6-4, 6-4 on Center Court to make history. She fell to the grass as she realized the enormity of her accomplishment.
No player so low in the world had made it to a Wimbledon final since Serena Williams in 2018, when the American was ranked 181 in the world. The last unseated woman to do so was Billie Jean King in 1963.
At the start of the tournament, nobody expected Vondroušová to take part in the league game, not even the player herself, whose husband stayed in the Czech Republic until the final to take care of their cat, Frankie.
But Jabeur was the fifth-seeded player to fall victim to the 24-year-old in that tournament as her unpredictability proved difficult for her opponents to overcome, with the Tunisian struggling in particular despite having numerous opportunities to take control of the game to take over.
“Tennis is crazy,” Vondroušová said in her on-court interview. “Yeah, I really don’t know what’s happening now, it’s an incredible feeling.”
History would have been made whichever of the finalists had lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish, but the enormity of the event weighed heavier on Jabeur, who, she said after the loss, was making Wimbledon for the second straight year -Losing the final was painful for her career. This was also their third loss in a grand final.
But that’s what puts pressure on a player, especially when she carries the hopes of not just a nation but a continent while trying to come to terms with her own expectations, dreams and past failures. Jabeur once again came close to becoming the first Arab and African woman to win a Grand Slam, but her 31 unforced errors proved costly and the wait continues.
“I will not give up, I will come back stronger,” she told Center Court while wiping away tears.
Unpredictable and fearless
Jabeur had many chances, especially in the first set, but only secured two out of seven break points and made 17 unforced errors. Stats she would regret once Vondroušová took control.
The finalists traded breaks in the second and third game of the match, drawing 2-2 after a series of thrilling, drawn-out baseline battles. More breaks followed – four in the first seven games – as nervousness seeped into their game and heightened the tension.
Vondroušová, the unpredictable left-hander, varied her tactics brilliantly. She kept changing tempo and spinning the ball, eventually taking the opener, earning the crucial break in the ninth game and leading the set.
Jabeur, 28, shook her head as she was broken in the opening game of the second set, delivering six straight games to her opponent to push herself into dominance.
The change in momentum came as a surprise, but Vondroušová has unsettled his opponents for the past two weeks. When it’s impossible to predict which shot will come next, doubts sprout in your mind.
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But things can change quickly in tennis, and just as Jabeur seemed to be dangling from the abyss, she broke back after falling 40-0 on Vondroušová’s serve, leveling the game. Hope was restored and a nation breathed a little easier. But only for a short time.
Still unable to deliver the killing blow to a player who refused to concede, Jabeur immediately broke back to continue the unpredictability of the game.
The crowd cheered on Jabeur, the woman who had said her dream was to win at the All England Club, but her vocal support wasn’t enough and at 4-4 Vondroušová broke out again and served for the match, falling to the ground Her backhand volley secured a famous win.