Healthy Again, Vondrousova Eager for Raducanu Challenge
30/06/2025 18:40
The pair of former major champions will battle in the second round at Wimbledon
By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday June 30, 2025
A pair of former Grand Slam champions will square off in a second-round to die for at Wimbledon on Wednesday, and 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova is rounding into form just in time.
“I feel like I'm healthy now. I'm playing without any pain, so I'm really enjoying that,” the 2023 Wimbledon champion said after her victory over American McCartney Kessler on Monday. “Very grateful to be here and to be in this tournament again.”
Starting strong 💪
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 30, 2025
Our 2023 Ladies' Singles Champion Marketa Vondrousova is into the 2R, beating McCartney Kessler 6-1, 7-6(3)#Wimbledonpic.twitter.com/kgPvsOeZ0M
Vondrousova famously stormed to the Wimbledon title two years ago after entering the main draw with a 1-4 lifetime record at SW19. She has since learned to feel the grass better, and credits her movement as a catalyst for her rise on the surface.
After losing to Emma Raducanu at Wimbledon in the second round in 2021, the Czech was 2-10 lifetime on grass. Since then she is 16-3 on the surface, and she'll prepare to face none other than the 2021 US Open champion on Wednesday.
“I feel like I learned how to move on it better, because overall, I feel like my movement is something that I really use on the other surfaces,” she said. “On the grass I felt like it wasn't so good. I feel like I just needed a couple of years to maybe get used to it.”
Despite a first-round loss at Wimbledon last year, where she became the first defending champion to fall in the first round of her title defense since Steffi Graf in 1994, Vondrousova says she still remembers the good more than the bad.
She underwent shoulder surgery soon after last year’s loss at Wimbledon, but her recovery was far from a guarantee in her mind.
The Raducanu Roar 🗣️#Wimbledonpic.twitter.com/sjYeS1xPIk
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 30, 2025
“I love this tournament,” she said. “I have great, great memories from it. I'm just really trying to enjoy every match, because it really looked bad with my shoulder a couple of months ago, so I didn't even know if I could be here again on the court.
“Now I take it match by match, and I'm just trying to really enjoy everything here and am grateful to be back.”
Vondrousova will face Raducanu in what is sure to be one of the most heavily anticipated matchups of round two.
“I feel like she's getting better and better,” Vondrousova said of Raducanu. “She is 30-something now, so she's very high in the rankings. I feel like she's coming back where she belongs.”
