Izuchukwu OkosiTunisia’s Ons Jabeur on Saturday failed to win the Wimbledon title as Marketa Vondrousova became the first unseeded woman to win it in the Open era in a shock 6-4, 6-4 victory.
Jabeur was the first African and Arab woman to reach a Grand Slam final last year at Wimbledon, but losing to Elena Rybakina in three sets took the shine off that achievement.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe 24-year-old Vondrousova upset the odds on Centre Court to win her maiden Grand Slam title at the second attempt after losing to Ash Barty in the 2019 French Open final.
“After everything I’ve been through – I had a cast on this time last year – and now I can’t believe I’m holding this trophy,” said Vondrousova who was sidelined with a wrist injury in 2022.
“I don’t know what’s happening now.”
Vondrousova joins Jana Novotna and Petra Kvitova as the only Czech women to win a Wimbledon title.
She is just the ninth unseeded champion at a Grand Slam tournament.
Just 12 months ago, she was an injured bystander at Wimbledon, reduced to watching her best friend Miriam Kolodziejova attempt to qualify for the main draw.
Vondrousova’s second wrist surgery had ruled the Olympic silver medallist out for six months, although her absence from the tour at least allowed her the space and time to get married.
She was the second-lowest ranked player to reach the Wimbledon final – only Serena Williams in 2018 was lower at 181.
So unexpected was her run that she told her husband Stepan Simek to stay at home in Prague to look after their cat Frankie until the final, when a pet sitter was found to allow her partner to make the trip to Wimbledon.
The defeat was another heartbreaking blow for world number six Jabeur, who wept during an emotional post-match trophy presentation.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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