There are few better places to catch a glimpse of the next tennis champions than at the Wimbledon qualifying tournament on the grounds of Roehampton's Bank of England Sports Centre, where many begin to plot their way into the top levels of the sport.
Last year, that was particularly true. A recognisable face among the crowd there was a Czech player by the name Marketa Vondrousova, but she was not in competition. After undergoing a second wrist surgery nearly two months earlier, Vondrousova was in the midst of a six-month layoff. She made her trip from the Czech Republic as a tourist while supporting her best friend and doubles partner, Miriam Kolodziejova, with her wedding imminent.
A year later, she returned to win the whole thing. "We did some sightseeing and some shopping, it was just a normal vacation, but I would have never dreamed of this moment," she said.
Vondrousova's victory is a reminder that the pathway of a tennis player is far from direct. She is the first unseeded Wimbledon women's champion and a player who had previously struggled on grass, so her success may be one of the biggest surprises in recent years. Still, there have always been indications that she had been on the pathway towards achieving big things.
Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin July 17, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin July 17, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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