Czech PM meets Grand Slam winner Markéta Vondroušová

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala met this afternoon with tennis player Markéta Vondroušová to commend her recent Wimbledon victory. Praising her outstanding performance as the first unseeded player to dominate the tournament in the Open Era, Fiala acknowledged her successful representation of Czechia on the international tennis stage.

In the meeting held at the Government Office, Markéta, along with her coach Jan Hernych, was congratulated for her impressive win at Wimbledon, where she defeated Ons Jabeur in the final with a score of 6:4, 6:4. This victory marked a significant milestone in Czech tennis history, joining the ranks of previous champions Petra Kvitová in 2011 and 2014, and Jana Novotná in 1998.

A tennis enthusiast, Fiala shared his admiration for the sport and acknowledged the challenges faced by unseeded players like Vondroušová. He described her journey to victory as an inspiring and commendable achievement.

During their meeting, they discussed Vondroušová's career and future plans. As the most renowned tennis tournament, Wimbledon holds a special place in the hearts of professional players, and Vondroušová's triumph highlighted her exceptional talent and dedication to the sport.

Fiala said he had watched the Wimbledon final on television, and that it was "all the more admirable" to see Vondroušová make her way through the tournament as an unseeded player. With her recent victory, Vondroušová's world ranking soared to 10th, up from 42nd before the tournament began.

Dressed in a black dress and wearing her traditional sneakers, Markéta expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to represent her country at Wimbledon and for the prime minister's warm reception.

“I really never thought that I would have a chance to play for the title here. Of course I will want more and more [titles]. On the other hand, I am ready to be a target and the girls will want to win against me. But no one can take Wimbledon away from me,” the Czech had said after the match.

Vondroušová is not the only Czech player to experience great success in the 2023 tennis calendar. At Wimbledon, Pilsen-born Barbora Strýcová also won a Grand Slam, following a victory last week in the women’s doubles alongside her Taiwanese partner Hsieh Su-Wei. In June at the French Open – one of tennis’s four Grand Slams – Czech Karolína Muchová finished as the runner-up. Earlier this year, Czech pair Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková won the Australian Open Grand Slam for women’s doubles in January 2023.