Wimbledon: Emma Raducanu and Marketa Vondrousova cross paths again in a tale of two Grand Slam champions | Tennis News

Wimbledon is aware of its original stories of newly discovered worship. Two years ago, he fell in love with Marketa Vondrousova, the wall of tattoos as striking as his talents on the ground, cat-Sitter reservations and, of course, the triumph of Cotes.

On Wednesday, mutual empathy could well linger in the Air All England when the Czech meets Emma Raducanu in the second round, two former Grand Slam champions being confronted with strangers with cruel backhands, brutal and not satisfied spotlights which both refuse to let them destroy them from their diplomas as major winners.

Vondrousova, the subtle and often neglected assassin hiding in the shadows with giant-jacas capacities; Raducanu, a still undeniable face of tennis which persists in attaching to unequaled pressure from one of the emblematic beginnings of tennis slam.

Between the injury and the fluctuating form, there are notable parallels in the respective rocky trips before, around and since the success of the slam. How the two would savor a plot without disruption.

“I remember watching her when I was young to make the French opening final,” said Raducanu. “She was also young there too. He always seemed far above me and further than me.

“She suffered an operation on the wrist and returned and won Wimbledon, which is incredible. She is a really, really talented player.”

Vondrousova, 19 years old, announced himself in style at the 2019 France Open when she became the first teenager to reach the final of a Grand Chelem since Caroline Wozniacki at the US Open in 2009, finally falling to Ash Barty.

The wrist surgery would then govern it on these last stages of the season before returning to win the money at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021 during a race which saw it knock two opponents among the first 10.

She then missed three of the four big chelems in 2022 due to new injury problems, before stunning Ons Jabeur as the first Wimbledon champion for non -series women and the most Wimbledon bench in the open era in 2023. With as much to build the latest protagonist of the All England Club.

Such was the theme of the roller coaster mountains of his career, Vondrousova became the second champion in simple Wimbledon in the simple era in the first round when she was beaten by Le Monde n ° 83 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro the following year. In addition, he first marked that a champion in title of the slam has lost in the first round since … Raducanu at the US 2022 open.

His progress gave up again at the beginning of 2025 when a shoulder injury excluded him for an extended period, only for Vondrousova – like Vondrousova – to respond categorically by beating Wang Xinyu to Berlin Open Glory to a week of Wimbledon, after taking the world no 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

“We played earlier in the year in Abu Dhabi,” added Raducanu. “I know it is super difficult, but it is very difficult to maintain this higher level after winning a slam. She is really playing in shape right now.

“She obviously won Berlin. Beat the best players on the way to the title. Match really difficult. She obviously won Wimbledon. Amécosréable short player and incredible player in general.

“I think it’s going to be a really difficult match. I’m going to have to play very well to cross the line.”

Raducanu, more than most, can attest to Loftet expectations and Yo-Yoo fortunes that accompany victory, not to mention his victory for ages.

The British No. 1 had met Vondrousova in the middle of his own breakthrough defining in 2021, recording a 6-2 6-4 victory in the second round of his main beginnings of Wimbledon, who saw him go to the fourth round.

“I remember that I played a very good tennis,” Raducanu said about their match in Wimbledon. “I remember that I played one of the best games I played. I was so aggressive, I took the ball. Obviously, because she won the Wimbledon title and was much more successful on the grass.

“I remember that it was, yes, a big change, a big turning point for me. I can’t wait, again, to have the opportunity to be in the second round. I am grateful.”

In doing so, Raducanu launched a historic summer which led to its becoming the first male or female qualification to win a big slam in the open era while it overturned the Canadian teenager Leylah Fernandez to win the United States open without dropping a single set.

The arrow projections of the supremacy of Raducanu ensued, often and unjustly resistant to the reality of a female tennis scene blessed in its depth of pretenders and its propensity to the new emerging stars with the post-Sennaire Williams on the horizon. With fierce pressure has come from ankle and wrist surgeries, other injury strokes, hunts out of the tests and a search for winding a preferable coaching configuration to make a chapter in which most could and should be forgiven for finding clear progress difficult to find.

“I have the impression that she had much worse because she is from the biggest country,” said Vondrousova.

“She had crazy pressure. I have the impression that she has it all the time in each tournament,” said Vondrousova when she asked her if she could refer to the Raducanu trip since the renown.

“I have the impression that she improves better and better, but yes, on the whole, it had to be crazy for her to live it all.”

The glows of the return shape appeared in the past year, however, Raducanu bringing in the top 50 for the first time since September 2022 in March and reaching her first quarter -final WTA 1000. She notably met Vondrousova when she was beaten as an entrance to Joker to the Abu Dhabi Open.

“She’s at home here, so I expect a difficult match,” said Vondrousova. “I have the impression that it improves better and better. She has been about thirty years now, so she is very high in the ranking. I have the impression that she comes back where she belongs.

“I have the impression that she is a big player. She has both a strong kick, a setback. He is a very great player. I expect a hard on Wednesday.”

Raducanu sealed his place in the second round by beating the Welsh teenager Mimi Xu as one of the seven British to win on Monday, while Vondrousova overcome the recent champion of Nottingham Open McCartney Kessler. Waiting for the winner, a potential confrontation with Aryna Sabalenka, world n ° 1, who faces Marie Bouzkova in the middle of her search for a first victory of the Grand Colam of the year after two final defeats in Melbourne and Roland Garros.

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