Marketa Vondrousova enters the stage with Simone Biles and Jamal Murray for Laureus World Comeback of the Year!

The Czech young gun earns her maiden nomination at the Laureus Awards owing to her Wimbledon title.

Marketa Vondrousova enters the stage with Simone Biles and Jamal Murray for Laureus World Comeback of the Year!

Marketa Vondrousova with her 2023 Wimbledon trophy (Image via IMAGO)

World No. 7 Marketa Vondrousova continues to reap the rewards of becoming a Grand Slam singles champion. The Czech won her maiden singles Major at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

Up against last year’s runner-up Ons Jabeur, Vondrousova won the finals 6-4, 6-4. She dropped a set only twice during her run to the title where she became the first unseeded women’s singles champion at the All-England Club. Vondrousova was ranked 42nd in the world when she won the Championships.

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As a result, she jumped 32 places to enter the Top-10 for the first time in her career. It was undoubtedly an emotional moment for her. She had reached the 2019 French Open finals as a 19-year-old but instead of seeing a rise, she was crippled by two big injuries that required surgeries.

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Since breaking into the top ten after winning Wimbledon, the 24-year-old has played consistently. She hasn’t left the top ten since then. She attained her career-high ranking as World No. 6 after her run at the 2023 US Open where she made the quarter-finals.

Vondrousova was ranked outside the Top-100 in February. She grinded hard on the courts to rise in rankings. Coming from a big injury break and winning a Grand Slam title unseeded, the Czech has been nominated for the 2024 Laureus World Comeback of the Year award.

Competing her for the title are gymnast Simone Biles, South African rugby player Siya Kolisi, soccer player Sebastian Haller, Canadian basketball player Jamal Murray, and British track and field athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson.

Marketa Vondrousova was forced to go for a second surgery in 2022 cutting her season short

By reaching the finals at the 2019 French Open, Vondrousova became the youngest and the first teen since 2007 to reach the finals in Paris. She was however defeated by Ash Barty who put on a masterclass to win her first career Grand Slam title.

Marketa Vondrousova
Marketa Vondrousova falls on the court after winning the Wimbledon title (Credits: Wimbledon)

Vondrousova suffered a setback a few months later as she was forced to undergo surgery on her wrist in September. As a result, she had to prematurely end her season. A similar thing happened with her in the 2022 season.

With unbearable pain, the Czech had to undergo a second surgery within three years. Although she did play again in the season, but on lower levels of the Tour. The underdog factor of her story in winning the Wimbledon title surely makes her a strong contender for the Laureus award.

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