LONDON -- Marketa Vondrousova has always loved Wimbledon. So much so, that she even attended the tournament as a fan in 2022 when a wrist injury sidelined her from competition.
It just, in her mind anyway, had never loved her back.
During her four previous times competing at the All England Club, she had never advanced past the second round. And even that was just once. In fact, Vondrousova had never played well on grass anywhere, recording just a 2-10 record on the surface before this season. She had such low expectations for herself at what she considers the most famous of tennis tournaments, that she had her husband stay at their home in Prague to watch their cat instead of attending the event in person to cheer her on.