Wimbledon final: Marketa Vondrousova triumph hailed by experts as ‘incredible’ with Ons Jabeur heartbreak ‘painful’

Eurosport experts Laura Robson, Mats Wilander and Barbara Schett have given their reactions to Marketa Vondrousova beating Ons Jabeur in the final to win Wimbledon.

The jubilation from the 24-year-old was in stark contrast to the crushing disappointment felt by the sixth seed Jabeur, who has now lost in three Grand Slam finals and two successive Wimbledon showpieces.

For Robson, Wilander and Schett, it was truly remarkable how Vondrousova managed to keep her composure on the biggest stage in the sport – and a big surprise given her lack of form at major events in recent years.

“It is incredible, and I just can’t believe the performance Marketa put together,” Robson began when reflecting on only the second title of the Czech’s career.

“She played with no fear and simply played herself into the match. To do that in a Grand Slam final, you just cannot ask for anything more.

“She just looked so calm out there, and on the other side, you had Ons looking so stressed about how she was feeling and how she was playing. She had all that stress and all of those thoughts bubbling up, and it’s almost impossible to play your best tennis with all that going on.

“It was definitely a match that was won mentally. Marketa did not panic and waited for mistakes from her opponent – and they came because it’s a Grand Slam final.

“Ons was trying to play too well and do everything out there. There was too much in her head, whereas I was so impressed with how chilled Marketa was in a Grand Slam final, which was incredible.”

Wilander said: “She obviously has the talent, but she had never been past the second round at Wimbledon.

“There was nothing to suggest the stars had aligned for her to win Wimbledon, but the more she played you saw how crafty she is, how calm she is and what a great mover she is. She wins the big points as well.

“She was not the favourite in the semi-final against Elina Svitolina, and today she was definitely not the favourite, so this is totally unexpected. I’m not sure she can even understand what is going on!

“For Ons, this was an opportunity that is going to hurt for a long time. When you go into a Wimbledon final as the favourite, that is going to be painful.”

Schett, who was left equally stunned by Vondrousova’s display, added: “It is a fairytale and it is a dream come true for Marketa. It is incredible that she was unseeded.

“This is even more astonishing because you have to play your best tennis from the first moment onwards.

“She will need a few days to even realise what has just happened. Obviously, the disappointment will be very big for Ons.”

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