Emma Raducanu’s next opponent knows what it’s like to live life in the spotlight after Grand Slam success.
Marketa Vondrousova, who takes on the 2021 US Open champion at Wimbledon on Wednesday, lifted the title at the All England Club back in 2023, stunning Ons Jabeur in the final.
The Czech had been a French Open runner-up and an Olympic finalist before her SW19 triumph, meaning her success was slightly less of a surprise than Raducanu’s.
But it was still a sudden adjustment for Vondrousova, who had only once made it past round one at Wimbledon before her triumph, and who became the event’s first unseeded women’s singles winner.
Much like her next opponent, the 26-year-old was beaten in the opening round of her major title defence, and also knows the challenge of varying injury issues.
However, in her own words, she does not feel that she can relate to the pressure that Raducanu has faced throughout her career.
“I feel like she [Raducanu] had it way worse because she is from a bigger country,” said Vondrousova.
“She had crazy pressure. I feel like she has it in every tournament all the time.
Now, I feel like she’s getting better and better with it, but overall it must have been crazy for her to live all of that. Like when you win a Grand Slam from qualies, it must have been a crazy thing, for sure.
“Bigger country, bigger pressure I feel like, but I feel like now she’s getting better and better. I feel like now she kind of found her way maybe, you know, into tennis and the matches again.
“I feel like she really belongs here where she is, and yeah, she’s a great player.”
Raducanu and Vondrousova’s match is set to take place on Centre Court on Wednesday, a rare all-unseeded battle between two major champions.
Ranked 40th in the world, Raducanu is 33 places above Vondrousova in the WTA Rankings, though it is the Czech who approaches this clash in better form.
The 26-year-old won the Berlin Tennis Open on grass last month, her first title since she won Wimbledon, and just the third of her career overall.
Despite being a former champion, Vondrousova will likely have the crowd against her out on Centre Court, with home favourite Raducanu likely to receive a wave of support.
That is not something that bothers the former world No 6, though, with the Czech simply excited to step back onto court.
“For me, it’s just I’m trying to focus on the match, like on each point,” she said.
“I feel like here it’s not so crazy. Maybe like in New York or Paris it’s way worse for me to play there with anybody, like at the other slams.
“She is the hometown hero, so I expect that. I’m okay with that. Yeah, I’m just hoping we’re going to have a great match.”
“I feel like here it’s not so crazy. Maybe like in New York or Paris it’s way worse for me to play there with anybody, like at the other slams.
“She is the hometown hero, so I expect that. I’m okay with that. Yeah, I’m just hoping we’re going to have a great match.”