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.