Marketa Vondrousova continues to make her hometown of Sokolov proud with a hugely impressive 2023 tennis season

World number 6 Marketa Vondrousova is having the kind of season that fairytales and Netflix documentaries are made out of.

Tokyo 2020 silver medalist Marketa is on the rise and there is nothing stopping this fiercely determined Prague-based Czech left-hander who is motivating young women in her native homeland to take up tennis.

Coached by former professional male tennis player Jan Hernych and with a career-high ranking on her resume, the 24-year-old star Vondrousova is turning heads with a 40/13 win/loss record and recently did well to make the Quarterfinals at the US Open in New York.

Despite a rare off-day against the local favourite and world number 12 Madison Keys, there is so much to take from a stunning year that has shattered all previous expectations.

Inspired by her Sphynx cat named Frankie and with a calm nature on the court keeping her grounded when the chips are down, the reigning Wimbledon 2023 ladies’ champion became the first unseeded woman to win the singles title in spellbinding fashion earlier in July.

The tattoo on her right elbow says ‘’No rain, no flowers’’, which means that she knows that success doesn’t come easily in a physically and mentally draining sport.

After being so highly rated as a junior with a number 1 ranking and taking a bit longer than expected to reach the top of this hugely competitive and humbling sport, there is an obvious grit and determination from a grateful superstar.

Tennis should be lucky that Marketa chose the sport to begin with as it was a close call with soccer. Luckily, her love of individual sports and her appreciation of Roger Federer led her to fully concentrate on the courts and away from the football pitches.

Born to a sports-mad family, the wonderful genes are clear to see with her mother Jindriska Anderlova who played volleyball in the top Czech league for SK Slavia Prague and her grandfather, František Frk, was the Czechoslovak national pentathlon champion in 1935.

Czech tennis is in good hands. With role models like Vondrousova, Karolina Muchova and Barbora Krejcikova all inside the top 10 singles ranking and equally excellent in doubles, this is the prime time tennis heyday fans have been longing for.

Sources: LTA Tennis, Wikipedia, Twitter