Unseeded Czech Marketa Vondrousova stunned Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-4 to win the Wimbledon Women’s Singles final on Saturday. There have been a string of surprise Grand Slam winners in a period of flux for the Women’s game, but Wimbledon had been the exception until now, with
Vondrousova taking advantage of a nervous performance from the Tunisian to claim a stunning victory. History was at stake for both players, but particularly for Jabeur, who has become a trailblazer for African and Arab Women.
But the Tunisian, who was the pre-match favourite, looked overwhelmed by the weight of expectation. While both players managed beaming smiles for the camera as they posed for
the traditional pre-match photograph, the nerves associated with playing in a Wimbledon final quickly became apparent. In a topsy-turvy opening set Jabeur, the sixth seed, led by a break of
serve at 4-2 but was immediately broken to love by the Czech world number 42.
A bad miss from the Tunisian gave Vondrousova two more break points and another unforced error put the underdog 5-4 ahead. Vondrousova comfortably served out to love, making just six unforced errors in a 40-minute opening set.
Jabeur’s collapse continued at the start of the second set, handing Vondrousova the initiative by dropping serve in the first game. She fought back by winning three successive games but, just as she had in the first set, Vondrousova proved too strong towards the end.
She produced a nervy display under the Centre Court roof, however, and Vondrousova, who had wrist surgery last year and missed the tournament, stayed cool to claim the title to become the first unseeded woman to win the title.
This was not the 24-year-old’s first time on such a stage having burst through as a 19-year-old at the French Open in 2019 before losing in the final to Ashleigh Barty. Injuries had prevented her building on that, and she came to London as a tourist last summer during Wimbledon with her wrist in a cast after two operations.
Just eight months ago, she was ranked outside the top 100 and won a title in the rather less glamorous surroundings of The Shrewsbury Club in Shropshire, England.
Vondrousova adds her name to the storied list of Czech Grand Slam champions including Jana Novotna, Petra Kvitova, Barbora Krejcikova, and Marketa Vondrousova.
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