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A year ago, Marketa Vondrousova surprised the tennis world as she defeated one higher-ranked player after another to ultimately become the 2023 Wimbledon champion. The unlikely victor stunned Ons Jabeur, the clear favorite by both oddsmakers and fans, in the final and became the first unseeded player to woman to win the title at the All England Club behind her steely and steady performance.
But what a difference a year makes.
On Tuesday, playing in the first match on Centre Court as is customary for the reigning champion, the 25-year-old Vondrousova found herself on the other end of an upset. Now the No. 6 seed, and with 2,000 ranking points to defend, Vondrousova had no answers for Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, a relative unknown currently ranked a career high of No. 83, and was handed a 6-4, 6-2 loss in just 67 minutes. Playing in only the third major main draw of her career, it marked the first win at a Slam for Bouzas Maneiro, 21, and her first victory over a player ranked in the top 40.
The win of her life
21-year-old Jessica Bouzas Maneiro beats defending champion Marketa Vondrousova 6-4, 6-2 on Centre Court#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/16PSpOvi0I
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 2, 2024
“I think this is one of the most important moments in my life, in my career,” Bouzas Maneiro told the crowd after the match. “On this court, this is amazing.”
As Bouzas Maneiro sobbed and held her head in her hands, a stunned Vondrousova quickly packed up her bag and made her way off of the court. With the loss, Vondrousova — who is expected to drop out of the top 10 in the next rankings — became just the fourth Wimbledon player in the tournament’s history to lose in their opening match as defending champion, joining Lleyton Hewitt (2003), Steffi Graf (1994) and Manuel Santana (1967).
While likely little consolation to Vondrousova, her loss was certainly less shocking than that of Graf, the other woman on the unenviable list. Graf, who lost to Lori McNeil in straight sets, was a…
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