Wimbledon: Emma Raducanu and Marketa Vondrousova cross paths once more in a story of two Grand Slam champions | Tennis Information

Wimbledon is aware of its quirky tales of newly-discovered adoration. Two years in the past it fell in love with Marketa Vondrousova, the mural of tattoos as hanging as her on-court abilities, cat-sitter bookings and, after all, odds-spoiling triumph. 

Come Wednesday a mutual empathy might effectively linger within the All England air when the Czech meets Emma Raducanu within the second spherical, two former Grand Slam champions going through off as no strangers to merciless setbacks, unwelcome noise and heightened spotlights that each refuse to let detract from their credentials as main winners.

Vondrousova, the delicate and oft-overlooked murderer lurking within the shadows with giant-slayer capabilities; Raducanu, a nonetheless plain face of tennis who persists to swat at unrivalled stress stemming from one in all tennis’ iconic Slam debuts.

Between damage and fluctuating type, there are notable parallels within the respective rocky journeys earlier than, round and since Slam success. How each would relish a disturbance-free plot line.

“I bear in mind watching her after I was younger make the French Open closing,” stated Raducanu. “She was younger there as effectively. At all times appeared method above me and additional forward than me.

“She had a wrist surgical procedure and got here again and received Wimbledon, which is unbelievable. She’s a very, actually gifted participant.”

A 19-year-old Vondrousova introduced herself in type on the 2019 French Open when she turned the primary teenager to achieve the ultimate of a Grand Slam since Caroline Wozniacki on the 2009 US Open, ultimately falling to Ash Barty.

Wrist surgical procedure would then rule her out of the latter levels of the season earlier than she returned to clinch silver on the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 throughout a run that noticed her knock out two top-10 opponents.

She then missed three of the 4 Grand Slams in 2022 as a result of additional damage points, earlier than beautiful Ons Jabeur as the primary unseeded women’ singles Wimbledon champion and the lowest-ranked Wimbledon champion within the Open Period in 2023. Her inventory had snowballed throughout the 2 weeks from unheralded obscurity to grass-court artist, loveable tales of her cat Frankie – who now lives with ex-husband Stepan – combining with as a lot to assemble the All England Membership’s newest protagonist.

Such has been the rollercoaster theme to her profession, Vondrousova turned simply the second reigning Wimbledon girls’s singles champion of the Open Period to lose within the first spherical as she was crushed by world No 83 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro the next 12 months. What’s extra, it marked the primary time a reigning Slam champion had misplaced within the first spherical since… Raducanu on the 2022 US Open.

Her progress was derailed once more in early 2025 when a shoulder damage dominated her out for an prolonged interval, just for Vondrousova – in Vondrousova vogue – to reply emphatically by beating Wang Xinyu to Berlin Open glory only a week out from Wimbledon, having taken out world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka on her path to the ultimate.

“We performed earlier within the 12 months in Abu Dhabi,” Raducanu added. “I do know she’s tremendous robust, nevertheless it’s very troublesome to take care of that high degree after profitable a slam. She’s actually taking part in in type proper now.

“She clearly received Berlin. Beat high gamers on the best way to the title. So actually troublesome match. She’s clearly received Wimbledon. Wonderful grass court docket participant and superb participant generally.

“I believe it is going to be a very troublesome match. I’ll must play very effectively to recover from the road.”

Raducanu, greater than most, can attest to the lofted expectations and yo-yoing fortunes that accompany victory, not to mention her victory for the ages.

The British No 1 had met Vondrousova amid her personal defining breakthrough again in 2021, recording a 6-2 6-4 victory within the second spherical of her important draw Wimbledon debut, which noticed her make it so far as the fourth spherical.

“I bear in mind I performed actually good tennis,” Raducanu stated of their match at Wimbledon. “I bear in mind I performed probably the greatest matches I’ve performed. Was so aggressive, took the ball on. Clearly since she’s received the Wimbledon title and had much more success on grass.

“I do not forget that was, yeah, an enormous change, an enormous turning level for me. I am wanting ahead, once more, to have the chance to be within the second spherical. I am grateful for that.”

In doing so Raducanu kickstarted a historic summer season culminating in her turning into the primary male or feminine qualifier to win a Grand Slam within the Open Period as she toppled Canadian teenager Leylah Fernandez to clinch the US Open with out dropping a single set.

Hovering projections of Raducanu supremacy ensued, usually and unfairly immune to the truth of a girls’s tennis scene blessed in its depth of contenders and its proclivity for brand new rising stars with the post-Serena Williams period on the horizon. With fierce stress got here ankle and wrists surgical procedures, additional damage blows, stalking ordeals and a winding seek for a preferable teaching set-up in making for a chapter wherein most might and must be forgiven for locating clear progress troublesome to come back by.

“I really feel like she had it method worse as a result of she is from larger nation,” stated Vondrousova.

“She had loopy stress. I really feel like she has it in each event on a regular basis,” Vondrousova stated when requested if she might relate to Raducanu’s journey since fame arrived.

“I really feel like she’s getting higher and higher with it, however yeah, total it will need to have been loopy for her to dwell all of that.”

Glimmers of returning type have appeared during the last 12 months, although, with Raducanu breaking again into the highest 50 for the primary time since September 2022 in March and reaching her first WTA 1000 quarter-final. She notably encountered Vondrousova once more when she was crushed as a wild card entry on the Abu Dhabi Open.

“She is at dwelling right here, so I count on a troublesome match,” Vondrousova stated. “I really feel like she’s getting higher and higher. She is 30-something now so she’s very excessive within the rankings. I really feel like she’s coming again the place she belongs.

“I really feel like she’s an incredible participant. She has each sturdy forehand, backhand. She’s a, very nice participant. I count on robust one on Wednesday.”

Raducanu sealed her spot within the second spherical by beating Welsh teenager Mimi Xu as one in all seven Brits to win on Monday, whereas Vondrousova overcame latest Nottingham Open champion McCartney Kessler. Awaiting the winner is a possible matchup with world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who takes on Marie Bouzkova amid her seek for a primary Grand Slam victory of the 12 months after two finals defeats in Melbourne and Roland Garros.

Watch the ATP and WTA Excursions, in addition to the US Open in New York, dwell on Sky Sports activities in 2025 or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports activities app, giving Sky Sports activities prospects entry to over 50 per cent extra dwell sport this 12 months at no additional price. Discover out extra right here.