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Vondrousova plans matching tattoos with coach to honour Wimbledon win

Marketa Vondrousova defeated favourite Ons Jabeur in straight sets to make history as the first unseeded women’s singles champion at SW19.

Ellie Ng
Saturday 15 July 2023 18:27 BST
Marketa Vondrousova celebrates with the Venus Rosewater Dish (Steven Paston/PA)
Marketa Vondrousova celebrates with the Venus Rosewater Dish (Steven Paston/PA) (PA Wire)

Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova is planning matching tattoos for herself and her coach to honour her grand slam win.

The 24-year-old defeated favourite Ons Jabeur in straight sets to make history as the first unseeded women’s singles champion at SW19.

The Czech player congratulated a tearful Jabeur in her on-court interview and called the runner-up “an inspiration for all of us”.

She praised the Tunisian as an “amazing” person and said: “I hope you are going to win one day.”

The crowd laughed appreciatively when Vondrousova revealed she made a bet with her coach for both of them to get tattoos if she won.

Expanding during her winner’s press conference, she said: “I think I’ll choose for him. Maybe we’ll get the same one.

“We talked before the tournament, and he said: ‘Yeah so maybe if you win a grand slam, then I’ll do it, then this is happening.’

“I hope he’s not going to back (out). I think I’m just going to make him do it. So we’ll see.”

Pressed on the design, the tennis star smiled and replied: “I don’t know yet but I’ll show you guys on Instagram after.”

Vondrousova had extra support for the final, with her husband Stepan Simek abandoning cat-sitting duties to fly to London.

The Wimbledon champion said her husband was crying when she saw him after the match, jokingly labelling it as the “first emotion” she has seen from him in eight years.

She added: “I think he cried on the wedding day also, but that was it for the eight years.”

Vondrousova also told reporters she was going to treat her cat, Frankie, following her victory.

She said: “I think I’m going to buy her some good fish. She’s with the cat sitter now. My mum is coming tomorrow to watch her.”

The Princess of Wales congratulated the champion on her victory, telling her to “enjoy this moment”.

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