London [UK], July 16 : Following her historic Wimbledon women's singles title win, Czech tennis player Marketa Vondrousova said that she did not even think of winning the tournament since it was the most "impossible Grand Slam" for her to win and added that there was a point in the match where she could not even breathe out of nervousness.
Vondrousova clinched her maiden Wimbledon title, defeating No.6 seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia 6-4, 6-4 in the 2023 Wimbledon final on Saturday. With this, she won her first Grand Slam title. Vondrousova had captured the attention of tennis enthusiasts worldwide by becoming the first unseeded woman finalist at Wimbledon since the legendary Billie Jean King in 1963.
After the match, while facing the media, she had a smile on her face, but also wore the look of a person who could not believe what had just happened to her. Having won just one grass match before this fortnight, Marketa is still seemed to try to make sense of the marvellous accomplishment she had achieved, by becoming the first unseeded woman to win the Wimbledon title.
"I was just trying to win a couple of matches here. It was the most impossible Grand Slam for me to win, so I did not even think of it," she said as quoted by the official website of Wimbledon.
"This time last year I was injured with a cast on my left wrist and came here to watch my best friend play Qualifying. I was a tourist. When I was coming back I did not know if I could play at this level again," she added.
Marketa said that she did not start the final well, but was calm. But when things came down to securing the match point, she became really nervous.
"I did not start the final well. But I was so calm. I felt really good. On match point, I could not breathe. Crazy nervous. I was thinking to myself, ‘Just be over’. Everything is on you. Then – just relief," she said.
"Nobody would have said that I even have a chance to win. It is such a crazy journey. I can’t believe it still," added Marketa.
The left-hander's previous Grand Slam experience was in the final of the French Open in 2019, where she was defeated by Ashleigh Barty.
Marketa recalled the stress she faced at that time as a 19-year-old.
"I was 19 and I just remember it was such a stress," recalled Vondrousova.
"I wanted to do well. It was a big thing at home. Everybody was talking about it."
"She just crushed me. It was a very fast match and I didn't even enjoy it. I was very sad after. I just told myself, if this happens again, it is such a big achievement that I have to enjoy the moment, even if I lose," she concluded.
During the match, from the player's box, her husband Stepan Simek could barely watch her play out of nervousness.
"He is like this all the time," said Vondrousova.
"When I came up into the box [after winning], he cried. Then I saw him after and he cried a lot. I think he cried on our wedding day also but that is it through the eight years we have been together."
"It is an amazing feeling that I have my husband here. My little sister came also on Friday. I am just very happy to share with the people I have here because in Paris it was a bit sad. I could not hug them. Now this happened. Sharing it with them is amazing," she concluded.
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