THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 13, 2023

Marketa Vondrousova

Press Conference

M. VONDROUSOVA/E. Svitolina

6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the press conference of Marketa Vondrousova.

Marketa, into the Wimbledon final. How are you feeling?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Crazy. It was a very tough match. She was coming back. She was playing some good tennis. Yeah, I'm just very happy that I stayed focused and I stayed in my head.

I'm happy with the way I finished it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you take us back to a year ago here. How far away did this sort of level of play and performances and run seem back then?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: I mean, here on grass, it was almost impossible 'cause, as I said, I didn't play many matches on grass before. My best one was second round.

Yeah, I mean, for me, when it was clay or hard, maybe I would say, yeah, maybe it's possible. But grass was impossible for me. It's even crazier that this is happening.

Q. You said you were here a year ago watching a friend play. Who was that friend? When did you get back to practicing after the surgery?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: It was Miriam. We play doubles here also. We're best friends. She was playing quallies for the first time last year. With my sister, we went to see her in Roehampton, then we stayed for a week just to see London and stuff.

I had a cast on. It was after the surgery. Yeah, I didn't play for almost six months, so it was very tough.

But yeah, I mean, I'm just so grateful to be here. It's crazy that this is happening.

Q. Just wondering how this compares to your first slam final. Do you feel like you're a different person or different player now?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah, I think it can definitely help in tough moments. Also, like, I've been through it. Once I was very young, so I think it was just too much for me back then.

Yeah, I think this can help you also on the way. You know what to do. You know you have to have good people around you.

Yeah, I mean, definitely it can help. I mean, I'm a bit older now also. Yeah, I think I'm a bit different person. Yeah, I'm just very happy to be through this again.

Q. Is Miriam here watching you now?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah (smiling).

Q. You're obviously a bit of a fan of tattoos. Would you have a Wimbledon tattoo if you managed to win the final on Saturday? Can you tell us a little bit about some of the ones you have already?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: I have a bet with my coach. If I win a Grand Slam, he's going to get one, so I hope I will (smiling).

Yeah, I mean, we'll see what happens and what I'll do. For me, it's also art. I don't know, I just like it. I appreciate the people that do this.

Yeah, I mean, I feel like it's also work and art, and I just appreciate the people.

Q. You said the other day your husband was at home looking after the cat. Will you be able to get a cat sitter?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: He's coming tomorrow with my sister. We texted the cat sitter to come to our home. He's coming tomorrow.

Q. What is the cat's name?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Frankie.

Q. I understand you were dropped by Nike at some point in the last 12 months.

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah.

Q. What happened? What were the conversations? Clearly you'll have your pick of sponsors.

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah, the contract finished last year. Yeah, it was after four years, so they decided to stop.

Yeah, we'll see what happens now. I just said it's going to take time. We'll see what's going to happen. Now this is happening. So we'll see, yeah.

Q. Talking about your previous injuries, do you think it help you now to stand where you are now, gives the strength mentally by going on this process?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah, I mean, after everything I've been through, two surgeries, it's not always easy to come back. Yeah, you don't know if you can play at this level and if you can be back at the top and back at these tournaments.

I just feel like I'm just grateful to be on a court again, to play without pain. I'm just really grateful for it.

Q. After all of this, how would you describe yourself today as a person and as a player?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: You mean today?

Q. In general.

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Oh, okay.

Yeah, I mean, I think it's pretty amazing what's happening. You have to just have the people around you that's just going to stay with you and do the things for you, let you focus on the game, on the final.

For me, I don't like these things. Talking to you guys is just too much for me (smiling). I think I'm just really happy to be alone in a small circle. These kind of things, I don't like very much. I don't enjoy them.

For me, it's actually tough to do it. I just like to stay on my own or just with a few people. Yeah, but, I mean, it's a great thing to do if you're in a final, but still you have to keep your circle small.

Q. It was said at the beginning we could ask about your next opponent even though we don't know for sure who it will be. If you do play Sabalenka, how would you describe that matchup for you?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: We played in Australia this year. She beat me. But I think she's playing amazing tennis. She hits so hard. It's really tough to do something when she's on fire. She serves amazing.

I think her game for grass, it's very, very good. We have different styles. Yeah, it would be interesting match I think. But, I mean, they are both great, great girls, great players. So we'll see.

Q. If it was Jabeur, what specifics about her game are most difficult for you?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah, I feel like we're the same in some things. We're playing dropshots. We're playing slice. That's more my game than Sabalenka's. But we played few times already this year. We were supposed to play in Eastbourne also first round, but I withdrew.

Yeah, she played finals here last year. She was playing also US Open final. She's used to playing finals in a Grand Slam. I mean, it's a final, so it's going to be tough match no matter who is there.

Q. There was a shot you hit, spectacular forehand. Do you practice that? Have you hit a shot like that?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: I never practice that (smiling). Like, I couldn't play forehand, so that was just the one thing I could do. I think, I don't know, 50/50 if you make it or not.

Yeah, I mean, for me it just comes naturally. I just don't practice these things.

Q. Federer used to hit that kind of shot. Have you watched somebody do that?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Actually not so much. I feel I have more options than just play forehand. You can always try. I don't think it's even 50/50. It's maybe, I don't know, 30/70 that you can make it.

Q. There's been a lot of recent Czech success on the women's side. Have any of them been mentors for you in the past?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: I mean, I talked with Barbora Strycova before the match. She's here. I texted also with Karolina Muchova. We are from the same club. I feel like we just support each other.

I also talked with Karolina when she was playing Paris. I was crying so much after the final when she lost. It was really sad.

In Czech we have so many great players. We also support each other. It's very nice to see.

Q. Were you giving Karolina advice before the French final?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: We talked. We also talked after. I just told her to enjoy this moment. Even though she lost, it's amazing.

Yeah, I think she did the right thing. She enjoyed. Yeah, we spoke after in Prague. It's just amazing we can have that much success.

Q. When did that cast come off your wrist? When were you able to return to practice?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: I think they took it off last year like around this time, like before my marriage, like a week before our marriage they took it off. It's a year now.

Q. When did you start practicing? Right after that?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: No, I was exercising a lot actually. I think I started like in October maybe. Then I practiced a bit, then started to play tournaments in November.

Q. You mentioned briefly a moment ago two surgeries. Both on the wrist?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah, both on the left wrist.

Q. When you were growing up in the Czech Republic, were you aware of Martina Navratilova's success here, Jana Novotna? Were you aware of what they did at Wimbledon?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Well, for sure I know them. I was very small. Of course you know them, but you don't know them like you know maybe Petra Kvitova or Pliskova. I think we're closer to them.

But, I mean, what Martina did here was crazy. I think everybody knows. It's just amazing thing. I think it's so, so tough to do it one time. She did it, I don't know how many times, nine or...

Yeah, I feel like you can just look up to them.

Q. The tattoo questions. How many do you have for the record?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: I don't know (laughter).

Q. When you said you were here as a tourist last year supporting your friend, can you tell us a few of the sort of things that you did away from the tennis?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah, we visited London Eye, that kind of stuff. We went shopping. We went to see some nice restaurants also.

But I think we did shopping like, I don't know, five times. It was kind of crazy. We also went to see the match. We just went to the city. We were like normal tourist.

Q. Do you see being a lefty as a big benefit?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: Yeah, I mean, everybody says that, especially on grass. I think the opponent, they also know that you're going to maybe play the slice to the backhand. They are looking for it.

Yeah, I mean, if you can make the serve, then I think it's very helpful. Also I think in some rallies it's kind of different because they're used to maybe playing to backhand and we have a forehand there. Maybe that.

I mean, for me, it's easier to play right-handed players than left. I think, yeah, for us, if you can do a good slice from the left side, it's very helpful.

Q. Do you think you became more careful with how to take care of your body, what you eat, after the injuries?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: I mean, it was very tough with the injuries because, like, I couldn't prevent them. It was just like I had bones floating there. It wasn't about food or about anything.

Yeah, but I'm doing so much fitness and everything. I'm just trying to take care of my body, just to do the right things. Now it's really helping and I'm staying healthy. I hope I'm going to be healthy next few years.

Q. I think your results at Wimbledon before this year, you struggled a bit. Was there a moment where you felt like you could actually play on grass? Did you get any advice from Martina about grass court skills?

MARKETA VONDROUSOVA: I played Berlin before, so I felt good there. I played couple of matches. It wasn't bad. I was like, Yeah, maybe I can play a few matches here.

Yeah, when I saw the draw, it wasn't easy. I was like, Let's try. I beat Kudermetova, Vekic. They are great on grass. I was like, Okay, maybe, you know, I'll get better and I can do something here.

For me it's really crazy this is happening. But I think anything can happen in tennis.