Marketa Vondrousova savoured her “impossible” Wimbledon triumph while Ons Jabeur cried tears of despair at the most painful defeat of her career.
There have been a string of surprise slam winners in a period of flux for the women’s game but Wimbledon had been the exception until now, with Czech Vondrousova taking advantage of a nervous performance from Jabeur to claim a 6-4 6-4 victory.
The 24-year-old is the first unseeded player to win the women’s singles title here, and it is all the more improbable given she was in London last year as a tourist and with her left wrist in plaster.
“When I was coming back, I didn’t know what’s going to happen, if I can play at that level again,” said Vondrousova, who had won only four tour-level matches on grass prior to arriving at Wimbledon.
“I think it was the most impossible grand slam for me to win, so I didn’t even think of it. When we came, I was just like, ‘Try to win a couple of matches’. Now this happened, it’s crazy.”
While Vondrousova is not a household name, she had been in a grand slam final before, at the French Open back in 2019 when she was well beaten by Ashleigh Barty.
She also reached the Olympic final in Tokyo in 2021, having to settle for silver behind Belinda Bencic, but this time there was no denying her the big prize.
Jabeur was the crowd favourite but Vondrousova’s supporters included her husband Stepan Simek, who had passed over the responsibility of looking after their cat Frankie to fly to London for the final.
“I think when I came to the box, he cried,” said Vondrousova. “I saw him after, and he cried a lot. I think that’s the first emotion I saw from him over the eight years. I think he cried on the wedding day also, but that was it.”
The couple will celebrate a very happy first wedding anniversary on Sunday, when Vondrousova also plans to take coach Jan Mertl to a tattoo parlour to honour a pre-tournament bet.
“I think I’ll choose for him,” she said. “Maybe we’ll get the same one. We talked before the tournament, and he said, ‘Yeah, so maybe if you win a grand slam, then I’ll do it’. Then this is happening.”
A royal embrace 🥹#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/nDty8Ya9Sx
Advertisement— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 15, 2023
This was Jabeur’s third slam final from the last five major tournaments having lost to Elena Rybakina here 12 months ago and Iga Swiatek at the US Open.
The popular Tunisian claimed revenge against Rybakina in the quarter-finals and then saw off Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka to go into the match as the favourite.
But handling the pressure of trying to make it across the line, as well as attempting to become the first north African and Arab grand slam champion, proved too much.
She started well, breaking the Vondrousova serve twice to lead 4-2, but both times the Czech hit back straight away, and from there Jabeur seemed to freeze completely.
With high winds forecast, organisers made the decision to shut the roof despite it being dry, a decision Vondrousova was very happy with having played her last match-and-a-half indoors.
Jabeur had faced power players in her previous three matches but now, taking on the crafty Vondrousova – who is almost a mirror of the Tunisian in her love of drop shots, slices and lobs – she was unable to produce the same outcome.
Willed on by the crowd, Jabeur pulled herself back from 1-0 40-0 down to take a 3-1 lead in the second set but still the tension in her legs and arms was all too apparent and, with Vondrousova able to keep putting the ball back in play, the sixth seed wilted once again.
A double fault on her first match point betrayed a hint of nerves but she put away a cool volley on the second before dropping to the court in stunned celebration.
“When I was 40-0 up, I almost couldn’t breathe,” said Vondrousova. “I’m just very happy that I stayed in my head and I just kept it together.
“It was really tough in some moments. I think it was just a great match. We had some great rallies. She’s an amazing player. She’s an amazing person.
“That was the tough part also. We know each other very well. I’m just very happy that I kept fighting in the important moments.”
Congratulations Marketa! A huge moment for you and Czech tennis. Enjoy every moment of this victory 🇨🇿
And Ons, sending a big hug, your time will come for sure 🤗— Petra Kvitova (@Petra_Kvitova) July 15, 2023
The emotions were very different for Jabeur, who sobbed as she received her runners-up plate before sharing a consoling hug with the Princess of Wales.
“Obviously she was very nice,” said Jabeur. “She didn’t know if she wants to give me a hug or not. I told her hugs are always welcome from me.”
The 28-year-old made no attempt to sugar-coat the result, saying: “This is very tough. It’s the most painful loss of my career.
“It’s painful because you feel so close to achieving something that you want, and actually back to square one.
We are going to make it one day. I promise ❤️ 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/Up0pLT12HF
— Ons Jabeur (@Ons_Jabeur) July 15, 2023
“I felt a lot of pressure, a lot of stress. But, like every final, like every match, I was telling myself, ‘It’s OK, it’s normal’.
“I honestly did nothing wrong. I did everything that I could. I think things take time with me. It wasn’t meant to be this time.
“Definitely this match, last year’s match, the final of the US Open, will teach me how to win these finals.
“I will definitely keep learning, keep being positive. I think that’s the thing that will keep me going. Otherwise, if I’m going to be depressed about it, it’s not going to help much.”
