As the 2024 Wimbledon is nearly done with the first round, some ‘upsets’ have already surfaced. One of those is the elimination of Marketa Vondrousova from the tournament. But fans are also comparing Vondrousova with another tennis legend in terms of the fate she suffered.
Marketa Vondrousova lost 4-6, 2-6 to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the first round and is out of the Wimbledon 2024. The interesting thing is that Vondrousova was the defending champion entering the tournament. The only other female player who was sentenced to an upset was Steffi Graf.
Steffi Graf won the 1993 Wimbledon after beating Jana Novotna 7-6 (8-6), 1-6, 6-4 in the final. Next year at Wimbledon, Graf lost to Lori McNeil 5-7, 6-7 (5-7) in the very first round, which was a huge upset because the German was one of the best players in the world at the time. Co-incidentally, 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of that upset.
Although Graf won the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, a year after that upset, Wimbledon 1994 remains a sore spot in her career.
Vondrousova, in comparison to Graf, hasn’t quite reached that level of peak stardom or fame. The Wimbledon 2023 remains the only Grand Slam win of her career so far.
Marketa Vondrousova, reigning champion, is out of Wimbledon in Round 1, losing 6-4 6-2 to Jessica Bouzas Mineiro.
When was the last time a reigning champion went out in Round 1 (on either men’s or women’s side)?
Lleyton Hewitt 2003?
— Talking Tennis (@TalkingTennisTT) July 2, 2024
It was Steffi Graf in 1994! She lost to Lori McNeil, who went on to lose to eventual champion Conchita Martinez in the semifinals.
— emotions (@Hiikamaaru_) July 2, 2024
Yup and before that Steffi in 94!
— TYRANT (@InventingSy) July 2, 2024
seems the mental and emotional pressure of being defending champion got to her, alas
— nebby (@1gamesetmatch) July 2, 2024
And it wasn’t even close. Marketa was hitting the bottom of the net with no emotion whatsoever. Good for Mineiro, but Marketa is quite the enigma.
— Chucknessmonster (@Charles68548294) July 2, 2024
After her loss to Maneiro, Vondrousova in the post-match press conference, admitted that she was slower than usual and was not feeling at her best, despite giving due credit to her opponent. Marketa Vondrousova would love to come back harder and not like to be remembered as a one Grand Slam wonder.
