Marketa Vondrousova became the first unseeded player to win the Wimbledon women’s singles title as Ons Jabeur’s wait for a major goes on.
Vondrousova, 24, is ranked 42nd in the world after missing six months of last season with a wrist injury.
But the Czech handled the nerves of the occasion better than 2022 runner-up Jabeur to win Saturday’s final 6-4 6-4.
Sixth seed Jabeur, 28, has now lost all three major finals she has played in and was in tears at the end.
Vondrousova, who came to Wimbledon as a fan last year wearing a cast after wrist surgery, fell flat on her back as the magnitude of what she had achieved sank in.
“I don’t know what is happening – it is an amazing feeling,” said Vondrousova, who beat five seeded players to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish.
After sharing a warm embrace with Jabeur at the net, she knelt on the grass again and looked close to tears as she drew the acclaim of the Centre Court crowd.
Then, as is tradition these days, she clambered up to the players’ box to hug her team and family – including husband Stepan, who arrived in London to watch the final after previously staying at home in Prague to look after their pet cat.
By contrast, Jabeur looked heartbroken as she sat on her chair with her head bowed.
“This is very, very tough. The most painful loss of my career,” said Jabeur, who had been aiming to be the first African or Arab woman to win a Grand Slam singles title.
Vondrousova reached the French Open final as a teenager in 2019, where she lost to Australia’s Ashleigh Barty, before seeing her progress hampered by two wrist surgeries.
Clay courts have long been considered the Czech’s best surface and she admitted before her semi-final she “never thought” she could do well on grass.
But her game style – using a top-spin forehand to good effect, the ability to play with variety and regularly able to keep the ball in play – has translated to the grass courts.
Vondrousova came into Wimbledon having won only four grass-court matches in her career.
Even after winning under the Centre Court roof – which was closed because of winds predicted to reach speeds of 50mph – still owns an 11-11 win-loss record on the surface.
It led American former world number one Tracy Austin – who was working on BBC Sport’s television coverage of the final – saying Vondrousova was the “most unlikely” champion.
