Factbox on Czech tennis player Marketa Vondrousova, who beat Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur 6-4 6-4 in the Wimbledon final on Saturday to win her first Grand Slam title. Marketa Vondrousova, 24 years old, hails from the Czech Republic and currently holds the 42nd position in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings. Despite being unseeded, Vondrousova showcased her exceptional skills and determination throughout the tournament, defeating notable opponents. In the first round, she triumphed over Peyton Stearns from the United States with a score of 6-2 7-5. Continuing her impressive performance, Vondrousova emerged victorious against Veronika Kudermetova from Russia, Donna Vekic from Croatia, Marie Bouzkova from the Czech Republic, Jessica Pegula from the United States, and Elina Svitolina from Ukraine in the second, third, fourth, quarterfinal, and semifinal rounds, respectively. Vondrousova’s journey to success started when she began playing tennis at the age of four under the guidance of her father, David. She admired Roger Federer while growing up. Vondrousova embarked on her professional career in 2014, participating in the ITF circuit in the Czech Republic. In 2015, she secured two ITF singles titles and three ITF doubles titles. The young athlete made her debut in the Grand Slam main draw in 2017, competing in the French Open, U.S. Open, and Wimbledon. The same year, she achieved a breakthrough by winning her first WTA title at the Biel/Bienne Open, which propelled her into the top 100 rankings. In 2019, Vondrousova reached the final of the French Open but lost to Australian player Ash Barty. She also enjoyed success in the women’s doubles category at the Australian Open, reaching the semifinals alongside fellow Czech Barbora Strycova. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Vondrousova won a silver medal in the singles event, narrowly missing out on the gold after being defeated by Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic in the final. Vondrousova’s victory in the Wimbledon final against Jabeur is historic, as she becomes the first Czech woman to clinch the title since Petra Kvitova’s triumph in 2014.
