Markéta Vondroušová reminisces about Paris. Now I’m four years older and also a slightly different person, she says before the Wimbledon final.

For an unseeded singles player to reach the Wimbledon final hasn’t happened here in a long time. After six decades, the Czech player Markéta Vondroušová has done it. Her final duel against Uns Dzhabira awaits her on the centre court of the All England Club on Saturday at 3 pm.

The twenty-four-year-old tennis player has reached the Grand Slam final for the second time in her career.

“Thinking I could do it was almost impossible because I hadn’t played many matches on grass before. If it had happened on clay or on a hard surface, I would have believed it was possible. But on grass, it’s unbelievable for me. It’s even crazier that it happened,” Markéta Vondroušová described her feelings on the tournament organizer’s website.

This time last year, Vondroušová had her arm in a cast. She underwent two surgeries on her left wrist and had to go without tennis for six months. She did not return to the court until November and even then there were doubts whether she would return to her optimal form. At that time, the Czech tennis player was ranked 14th in the world rankings.

“It’s not always easy to come back because you don’t know if you can play at that level and get to the top in these tournaments. I’m really grateful that I can be back on the court and play without pain,” Vondroušová confided.

The experience from Paris can come in handy

Vondrousova already knows what it’s like to play a Grand Slam final. In 2019, she played the French Open final against Ashleigh Barty and lost 0-2 in sets. However, she gained valuable experience and four years older and wiser, she now feels better prepared for the final battle.

“I’ve been through it and I believe it can help me. I was very young then and it was too much for me. Now I’m older and also a bit of a different person. I know what I have to do and I also know that you have to have good people around you,” Vondrousova is positive ahead of the Wimbledon final.

Marketa’s husband, Stepan, will be in the audience to keep his fingers crossed for the Czech surprise. He has so far only been cheering at the TV screen as he has been looking after their cat Frankie. But now he has left him at home and has come to London together with Vondroušová’s sister.

“We wrote to the cat warden to come to our house and look after Frankie. He will come on Friday,” the Wimbledon finalist assures with a smile that her feline friend will be in good hands during the thrilling battle.

Source: Wimbledon, WTA