Wimbledon champion reveals how tournament chief handed her major advantage in Ons Jabeur rout

Despite defying all odds and expectations, Marketa Vondrousova emerged from the top half of the draw, beating four seeded players including a come-from-behind victory against world No.4 Jessica Pegula. Yet she was the heavy underdog going into the final against 2022 runner-up Ons Jabeur, who wasn’t just the overwhelming favourite having beaten four Grand Slam winners en route, including the defending champion Elena Rybakina, but also had the Centre Court behind her. But the Czech managed to stun the Tunisian in the final, handing her a second straight heartbreak, to script history in becoming the first ever unseeded woman player to lift the Wimbledon trophy. However, Vondrousova credited the Wimbledon chief for giving her a major advantage in her win against Jabeur. (Wimbledon 2023 final Live Updates)

In both her previous two matches before the final, Jabeur bounced back from a set down. She did it against Rybakina in the quarters and then against Sabalenka in the semis, but failed to emulate the same against Vondrousova as she lost 4-6, 4-6.

Before the start of the final, London witnessed high winds and the Wimbledon chief took a surprising decision to close the roof despite there being no rain. Vondrousova later admitted that the decision favoured her in scripting the straight-set win against Jabeur.

She said: “I was really happy they closed the roof because it’s very different than in the windy weather. The roof can help you with the serve. You just have to focus on the game, not on the wind, not even on the sun. I’m used to playing indoors. We practice in Prague in winter indoors. I always play good indoors.”

The Tunisian, who was aiming for the third time become the first ever Arab and African Grand Slam winner, was left in tears in the after the loss. She however admitted that the the call to close the roof did impact her game and could have probably seen a different outcome in the final.

Jabeur said: “Maybe it helped her today to play good and put more balls in. I don’t know if the roof was open it would have been a different story.”

The tournament organisers however later released a statement on why they chose to close the roof. It read: “We have been monitoring the weather forecast and in light of the yellow weather warning issued, we have taken the decision to close the roof on Centre Court and No 1 Court.”

History for Vondrousova

The Czech did not just become the first unseeded woman player to grab the Venus Rosewater Dish, she also become the lowest-ranked player (#42) to emerge as the champion at the SW19. Vondrousova is also the fifth left-handed female player to win the Slam and third from her nation to win a grass court major.

Vondrousova said: “This seems impossible. On grass I didn’t play well before, I think it was the most impossible Grand Slam for me to win. When we came, I was just like, ‘Try to win a couple of matches’. Now this happened, it’s crazy.”