History! Vondroušová becomes first unseeded women's Wimbledon champion

Czech tennis star Markéta Vondroušová has made history as the first unseeded player in Wimbledon history to win the women's singles title. The 24-year-old defeated Tunisia's Ons Jabeur in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 to take home the title on Saturday.

Vondroušová becomes the fourth Czech to win the Wimbledon singles title following Petra Kvitová (who won in 2011 and 2014), Jana Novotná (who won in 1998), and Martina Navrátilová, who won eight Wimbledon titles in the 1970s and 1980s but had been stripped of her Czechoslovak nationality at the time.

"It's unbelievable. It was a very difficult match and I was nervous. I'm grateful and proud of how I managed it," Vondroušová told journalists after the victory. "It was probably the least likely Grand Slam for me to win. I hadn't played well on grass before. When we came here I thought I'd try to win a few matches. And now this has happened. It's crazy. I still can't believe it."

The Wimbledon title is Vondroušová's first Grand Slam victory, and comes in just her second title match. She previously made the French Open final as a 19-year-old back in 2019. Vondroušová also has a silver medal from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

After her victory, Vondroušová received the Wimbledon trophy, the Venus Rosewater Dish, from Katherine, Princess of Wales. The prize comes with a financial reward of GBP 2.35 million (about CZK 65 million). She'll also shoot up from 42 all the way to 10 in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) worldwide rankings next week.

Vondroušová's previous best finish at Wimbledon was in the second round in 2021. Opponent Jabeur, meanwhile, lost the title match for the second straight year. Last year, she lost to Elena Rybakina.

"When I was 40-0 at 5-4, I almost couldn't breathe. It was all on me," Vondroušová said after her third victory over Jabeur this year, following wins in at the Australian Open and Indian Wells tournaments.

"I'm so glad I stayed focused in my head and kept it up. It was a huge relief. We played a great game full of great exchanges. She is a great player and person. We know each other very well. I'm glad that I continued to fight and held on in important moments."

"Everyone wants a Grand Slam and this one is even more valuable than the others because it's Wimbledon," Vondroušová added.

"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."