Emma Raducanu Expects A “Difficult Match” Against Former Champion Marketa Vondrousova at Wimbledon

Emma Raducanu and Marketa Vondrousova will face off for the fourth time on tour, with the latter leading 2-1 in their head-to-head record.

Emma Raducanu Expects A “Difficult Match” Against Former Champion Marketa Vondrousova at Wimbledon

Markéta Vondroušová and Emma Raducanu (via X/Wimbledon)

Emma Raducanu claimed her place in the second round of the Wimbledon Championships following a straight-sets victory over fellow compatriot Mimi Xu in her opening match. The British No.1 will now face the 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova for a place in the third round of the Grand Slam competition.

Raducanu had a dominant start to her Wimbledon campaign as she wasted no time overcoming fellow British star Xu 6-3, 6-3. However, before that, Vondrousova had secured her place in the second round after having to dig deep in the second set of her match against McCartney Kessler, claiming a 6-1, 7-6(3) victory.

Following the win, both players are now expected to face each other for the fourth time in their careers. Vondrousova leads Raducanu 2-1 in their head-to-head record having won their most recent encounter at this year’s Abu Dhabi Open in February. The last time Raducanu defeated the Czech Republic star was in the second round of the 2021 Wimbledon Championship.

Ahead of their meeting at Wimbledon, Raducanu revealed during her press conference, that their clash will be a difficult one. The 22-year-old added that she will have to play her best tennis to overcome the former champion:

She obviously won Berlin, 500. Beat really top players on the way to the title. [It will be a] really difficult match. Obviously has won Wimbledon. Amazing grass court player, in general. I think it’s going to be a really difficult match. I’m going to need to play very well to get over the line.

Vondroušová enjoyed huge success early in her career and first announced herself at the 2019 French Open, where she reached the final at the age of 19. She lost the title to Ashleigh Barty, finishing as the runner-up. But, she played just one more match before suffering a wrist injury that forced her to undergo surgery, ending her season that year.

She returned, but injury became her nightmare and she was forced to undergo another surgery. After four years, she found form at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, beating Ons Jabeur in the final to become the first unseeded woman to win the title. But that year, still ended up and down due to injury.

The 26-year-old returned to the court before the 2024 Wimbledon intending to defend the title but she suffered a stunning straight sets loss to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the first set. Nonetheless, this year, she has been finding her rhythm on the court, and her efforts paid off at the Berlin Tennis Open, where she lifted her first title since 2023.

Emma Raducanu scores her partnership with Andy Murray’s ex-coach

Emma Raducanu has begun to enjoy the partnership of Andy Murray’s ex-coach Mark Petchey this season. The popular tennis analyst joined her team in March, and there has been a noticeable difference in her style of play. Following her opening match win at Wimbledon, she scored her collaboration with the British coach:

Emma Raducanu (via X/LTA)
Emma Raducanu (via X/LTA)

I’d give him 11 out of 10. He’s been, like, everything the last few months for me. I’ve really enjoyed being around him. He’s helped me so much on all fronts, tennis, off-court. I think the most memorable moment… We’ve had quite a few. Like, there was one hike we did in L.A. We walked for, like, two and a half hours. We spoke. It was one of those really, I guess, like, deep conversations where I was like, okay, certain things I need to do better.

It was under the tutelage of Mark Petchey that Raducanu reached her first WTA 1000 quarter-finals at the Miami Open. He also helped her secure her only top 10 win of the season against Emma Navarro at the tournament. However, Petchey’s contract with Raducanu has been just temporary as he’s still under contract with Tennis Channel.

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