Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic plays against Ons Jabeur of Tunisia in the Wimbledon women’s singles final in London on Saturday. Vondrousova became the lowest ranked woman to win the tournament.
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Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic plays against Ons Jabeur of Tunisia in the Wimbledon women’s singles final in London on Saturday. Vondrousova became the lowest ranked woman to win the tournament.
Alastair/AP allowance
WIMBLEDON, England – Marketa Vondrousova became the first low-ranked and non-seeded Wimbledon champion, beating 2022 runner-up Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday.
Vondrousova is a 24-year-old left-hander from the Czech Republic, ranked 42nd. She is the first underrated woman to even reach the final at the All England Club in 60 years – who Last runner-up, 1963 Billie Jean King, sat in the front row of the Royal Box on Saturday with Kate, Princess of Wales.
The retractable roof over the main stadium was closed, shielding people from the 20 mph (30 kph) winds outside and that presumably allowed for smooth forehands which of Vondrousova repeatedly found targets. Her blows don’t leave the same sense of tension as Jabeur’s hits.
Vondrousova took the lead in each set but collected the last four games of the first set, then the last three games of the second.
This is her first Grand Slam title. She lost in the final of the French Open 2019 as a teenager.
Jabeur dropped to 0-3 in the grand final. The 28-year-old from Tunisia is the only Arab woman and the only North African woman to have come this far in singles at any Grand Slam.
But she lost to Elena Rybakina at the All England Club and No. 1 Iga Swiatek at last year’s US Open.
Vondrousova winning the trophy was hard to imagine two weeks ago.
She has trailed 1-4 in her previous Wimbledon appearances, reaching the second round only once on its grass, before leading 7-0 in these two weeks. A year ago, Vondrousova couldn’t even compete at Wimbledon, instead showing up with a cast on her surgically repaired left wrist to cheer for a friend.
Vondrousova was sidelined from April to October because of that injury and finished 2022 only ranked 99th.
They changed serve early and the score was 2 all in 23 minutes. They traded again, each in love, and the score was 4 all in 34 minutes.
But Jabeur’s mistakes continued to happen – she would end up with 27 irresistible errors – and Vondrousova took the lead, taking 16 of the last 18 points in the first set.
During the halftime break, Jabeur went into the dressing room. When she returned, she immediately made another mistake, and the audience made a fuss to show their support. Another mistake gave Vondrousova a break point, and Jabeur rewarded it with another shot into the net. With 45 minutes remaining, Vondrousova led a set and a break.
Then that’s when Jabeur started a big change. She won three games in a row to take a 3-1 lead, signaling perhaps the kind of comeback she produced after giving up the opening set before beating Rybakina, the No. 2. Aryna Sabalenka and US Open 2019 champion Bianca Andreescu.
The crowd is pulling in the famous Jabeur, nicknamed the Minister of Happiness for her manners on and off the court, the level of support they are providing increases with her level of competition .
It doesn’t last.
Vondrousova overcame that bright spot, and with her husband accompanying her for the first time during the tournament, she made it to the finish line.
When she finished the match with a volley, she tumbled to the grass, the happiest she’d ever been on the ground.
