Marketa Vondrousova beats Ons Jabeur to become first unseeded women's Wimbledon champion
The 24-year-old Czech player beat Tunisian opponent Ons Jabeur in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 in the final - making her the first unseeded woman to win Wimbledon.
Saturday 15 July 2023 19:45, UK
Marketa Vondrousova has made Wimbledon history by becoming the first unseeded player to win the women's singles final.
The 24-year-old Czech player beat Tunisian opponent Ons Jabeur in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish.
By winning the championship, Vondrousova went one step further than tennis icon Billie Jean King, who made it to Wimbledon as an unseeded finalist in 1963 - but lost to Australian Margaret Court.
Vondrousova's final opponent, Jabeur, was bidding to make history herself, by becoming the first African Arab woman to win Wimbledon.
The Tunisian star was also hoping to overcome her defeat in last year's final to Elena Rybakina.
And she made a fast start, winning her serve and then breaking Vondrousova's to take an early 2-0 lead.
But Vondrousova responded quickly, winning the next two games before clinching the set 6-4.
The Czech star then battled to a 6-4 win in the second set to clinch the Rosewater Dish.
She was presented the trophy by Kate, the Princess of Wales, who watched the match from the Centre Court's Royal Box alongside Billie Jean King.
Vondrousova's journey to the English finals - and her first Grand Slam title - has been a tough one.
She was at Wimbledon last year - but as a spectator for a preliminary game where she sported a cast on her wrist following surgery.
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Previously, injuries to her elbow and ankle kept her sidelined, after an incredibly promising junior career, which saw her rise to junior world No.1.
She also impressed in the early part of her professional career, becoming the first teenager to reach the French Open final in a decade in 2019 - a match she lost to Australian Ashleigh Barty.
This year, however, she has proven herself on the court, especially against Jabeur, with victories over rivals at the Australian Open and the Indian Wells Masters.