Czech player Marketa Vondrousova made history after beating Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in the legendary final – and she’ll be celebrating with a pint.
In a sell-out crowd with Princess Kate, Dame Maggie Smith and Jonathan Van Tam, the 24-year-old won the women’s final at Wimbledon on Saturday afternoon, just a year after three operations on her arm.
The Czech player won the final after just two sets to become the first unseeded player ever to be crowned Wimbledon champion.
The victorious 2023 Wimbledon champion said she will celebrate her victory with a beer alongside her husband Stepan Simek ahead of their one-year anniversary.
Vondrousova said, “I don’t know what’s happening.” It’s an incredible feeling. Ons you are such an inspiration, I hope you win one day.
Marketa Vondrousova of Czech Republic lifts the Venus rose bowl as she celebrates victory after the women’s singles final against Ons Jabeur of Tunisia on day thirteen of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships
Jabeur (left) and Vondrousova pose at the net before the start of the game
“I had a cast around this time last year so it’s great.” Tennis is crazy.
“The comebacks aren’t easy.” I was hoping to come back and now it’s happening. Thank you to my box. You are all great.’
Jabuer accepted the loss with dignity but had a minor meltdown as she congratulated her opponent and promised to come back one day and be crowned champion.
She said, “It was a great tournament.” I wish I could go on to the end. We’ll make it one day, I promise you.
“Thank you for coming and cheering me on.”
“But I mean, what Martina Navratilova did here was crazy.”
“I think everyone knows,” said Marketa Vondrousova. “It’s just an amazing thing.” I think it’s so, so hard to do it once. She’s done it, I don’t know how many times, nine or… yeah, I feel like they’re just something to look up to.’
Vondrousova clinched an oddly bumpy final despite a barrage of errors from Ons Jabeur.
The popular Tunisian was once again deeply frustrated as her third Grand Slam final faltered and she lost 6-4, 6-4 in an hour and 20 minutes.
In an unusual move, it was decided to close the roof because of the wind, not rain, and the extra control would benefit the more expansive Czech, who had played noticeably better when protected from interference in previous games like against Elina Svitolina Elements.
The stakes were high for both players as Jabeur hoped to become the first African to win a Grand Slam, while left-hander Vondrousova made history by becoming the first unseeded player to reach the Wimbledon final in the Open era.
The stands were packed ahead of one of the biggest finals on the tennis calendar.
Czech Marketa Vondrousova receives her trophy from Britain’s Princess Kate of Wales
Vondrousova clinched an oddly bumpy final despite a barrage of errors from Ons Jabeur
Marketa Vondrousova wins the Ons Jabeur at SW19 in a multiple break game
Jabuer accepted the loss with dignity, but suffered a breakdown while congratulating her opponent and promising to come back one day and be crowned champion
The Princess of Wales comforts Tunisia’s Ons Jabeura after losing the first two sets
Marketa Vondrousova celebrates with her family and coaching staff after the women’s singles final
Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales looks emotional as Czech player makes history
Vice-Chairman Ian Hewitt (centre) and the Princess of Wales arrived for the trophy ceremony after Vondrousova was crowned in the women’s singles final
Vondrousova celebrates with the Venus Rosewater Dish trophy, which she shows to the crowd from the balcony of Center Court after her win
The two tennis stars embrace after an exciting and brilliant final
Officials from both women’s countries were also in the royal box to support her quest for Wimbledon glory alongside former tennis stars Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova.
Both players had their own entourage of support from their own boxes, which included Jabeur’s husband Karim Kamoun, a former professional fencer. Vondrousova’s husband Stepan Simek wanted to go home to look after the couple’s cat but was asked to support his wife, to whom he has been married for just under a year.
He watched intently – barely moving until his wife took the champion home.
Jabeur took an early lead in the first set, but after too many unforced errors, Vondrousova won the first set 6-4.
Former tennis star John McEnroe on Jabeur – As commentator John McEnroe put it, “She had a little nervous breakdown.”
Vondrousova got off to a strong start in set number two as she won the first in set number two but despite a shaky start Jabeur managed a strong comeback 2-1.
With Jabeur coming back 3-1, the referee tries to get the crowd under control after the crown erupts in cheers after winning the point.
Vondrousova hit back with another break, reducing the deficit to 2:3 and quickly equalizing to 3:3.
But Jabeur manages a great comeback with 4:3, but the Czech quickly closes the gap to 4:4.
Vondrousova has the title within her grasp and is leading 5:4.
Marketa Vondrousova becomes the first unseeded player ever to be crowned Wimbledon champion
A year ago, world number six Jabeur became the first North African, first Arab and first Muslim to reach a Grand Slam final.
She was beaten by Elena Rybakina but made it to the final again months later at the Grand Slam final.
Her brilliant comeback win over Aryna Sabalenka on Thursday secured her passage to another final, and the Tunisian coastal town star is on the verge of becoming the first African woman to win a Grand Slam title.
Meanwhile, Vondrousova, a former world junior No. 1, arrived at Wimbledon unseeded and has already made history by reaching the final.
Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur accepted the defeat with dignity and congratulated her opponent
Kate celebrates as Vondrousova takes the lead with the first set in the historic Wimbledon final
Lewis Capaldi and Emma Watson were seen chatting while watching the action at Wimbledon
All smiles: (LR) Former tennis champion Martina Navratilova, AELTC Vice Chair Ian Hewitt, Britain’s Princess of Wales, attend the Women’s Singles Final
Andrew Garfield eagerly watches as the two women battle it out in the second set
Stepan Simek, husband of Czech actress Marketa Vondrousova, celebrates his wife’s win ahead of their one year anniversary.
The Czech is currently ranked 42nd in the world and is also the second lowest ranked player to reach the Wimbledon final since the WTA rankings were established. Only Serena Williams in 2018 (181st place) ranked worse.
Clay was and is her preferred surface to grow up on as a child and when she reached the French Open final in 2019 it felt like a natural path to prosperity.
Grass, a surface she previously described as “impossible” to excel on, was not part of the script.
Notably, despite her six wins and a place in the Wimbledon final, she still has a losing record on grass with ten wins and eleven losses. With her first ever Grand Slam on Saturday, she is able to level the field.
All will stay dry with Center Court’s roof firmly closed due to UK weather warnings for high winds. There was also sporadic rain in the capital, but there will be no rain delay at this game.
The players posed with coin tosser Philippa George ahead of the Wimbledon final
Princess of Wales and Billie Jean King watch the action at the Royal Box Wimbledon Tennis Championships
Emma Watson attends day thirteen of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas in the royal box watch the thrilling finale
Actress Dame Maggie Smith arrives in the royal box before the women’s singles final between Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova and Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova joins many stars including Emma Watson and Maggie Smith in the Royal Box to watch the final
Vanessa Nadal, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Andrew Garfield watch as Vondrousova wins the first set.
Vanessa Nadal (middle) and Lin-Manuel Miranda (right) in the royal box
American painter Andrew Levitas is accompanied by singer Katherine Jenkins
The Princess of Wales gasps as she watches Jabeur and Vondrousova compete
The Princess of Wales arrived at Wimbledon early before taking a seat in the Royal Box to watch the women’s singles final.
Kate made her way to Center Court to watch Vondrousova take on Jabeur from 2pm.
Wearing a pale green skirt and bodice, the Princess chatted to Wimbledon staff including a ball girl and ball boy on the Players’ Lawn.
As Patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Kate is a regular face at SW19.
She had a rainy visit on the second day of the tournament as she took refuge under an umbrella on Court 18, where she watched British number one Katie Boulter.
In the afternoon she made her way to the Royal Box, where she was joined by former champion Roger Federer.
The Duchess of Cambridge gracefully shakes hands with the Wimbledon staff and thanks them for all their hard work and dedication to the final
The Duchess of Cambridge gracefully shakes hands with the Wimbledon staff and thanks them for all their hard work and dedication to the final
Princess Kate, 41, arrived at the All England Lawn and Tennis Club in windy weather and brushed her hair back from her face
The early stages of the game was a tough battle for both players
Jabeur celebrates winning a point in the Wimbledon final
The Princess of Wales was spotted chatting with a ball boy and ball girl ahead of the final
No matter who wins on Saturday, there will be a brand new Grand Slam winner in women’s tennis
Jabeur and Vondrousova enter Center Court on Saturday
Jabeur (above) celebrates after beating Aryna Sabalenka and reaching Saturday’s Wimbledon final
Vondrousova comes from a family of sports stars and is a successful tennis player herself
Remarkably, she still has a losing record on grass with 10 wins and 11 losses before the final
The world No. 6 is close to becoming the first African woman to win a Grand Slam title
Czech Republic’s Marketa Vondrousova returns in the women’s singles final against Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur
Jabeur prepares to serve in the final of the Wimbledon tennis championships
Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur takes a moment to herself after losing the first set
Fans vented their disappointment on Saturday morning after organizers closed the Wimbledon queue due to a yellow weather warning for wind, which was in effect from 9am to 11.59pm.
Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey previously warned: “There is [yellow wind warning] on Saturday over Wimbledon and could well have an impact on the competition.
“This will bring stormy conditions and again rain and showers are to be expected.”
The Czech finalist is attracting attention from across the club – but it’s not just about her tennis!
Vondrousova stood out from the crowd at Wimbledon for more than one reason.
While the white outfits make one tennis star look like another, the Czech has special features that make her unmistakable.
She began her love of tattoos as a teenager with various designs, both with a tattoo gun and through stick-and-poke.
“In fact, I got the first copy as a gift when I was 16, for my birthday, and I don’t know, I felt like I wanted more!” Vondrousova told the BBC.
“For me it’s art and I have three or four[tattooists]that I go to in Prague.”
As for her many designs, she’s largely selective about what she reveals publicly.
One, visible on her right tricep, reads “No rain, no flowers.”
It feels appropriate for a player who missed this tournament 12 months ago injured and watching like the rest of us.
Wimbledon tweeted a reminder ahead of the gates opening: “Please remember the queue is not operational today and therefore there are no tickets available for sale.”
“We ask that you do not travel to Wimbledon today unless you are already a cardholder.”
Kathy Yates, 54, and her son Daniel Yates, 27, were turned away at the gates on Saturday when they tried to queue for ground passes.
The couple had caught a flight from Aberdeen and stayed in a hotel on Friday night for the “unique opportunity” to watch the tournament.
Ms Yates said: “We spent well over £300.” Two of our other family members have been given tickets to vote.
“We all came down together. We’ve been in line since 7am.
“We’ve planned this for a long time. We don’t get together often. I have a son who lives in Edinburgh.
“We organized this as a family reunion and half the family can come in and the other half can’t.”
Tiago Veloso, 48, and his 15-year-old son Vincente arrived at Wimbledon around 8am to queue for tickets.
Mr. Veloso said: “We came yesterday.” It was terrible weather. The rain canceled all games and we came today to watch the U14 and Juniors games on the ground because (my son) wanted to watch.
“I don’t understand that, yesterday was the worst weather.” I don’t understand the decision.
“It’s a very frustrating morning. “We had great expectations because the weather was terrible yesterday and we didn’t expect it today.”
Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey previously told the PA news agency: “There is a (yellow wind warning) for Wimbledon on Saturday which could well impact the competition.”
“This will bring stormy conditions and again rain and showers are to be expected.”