From COVID to QF: Marie Bouzkova, Elena Rybakina conquer health struggles for career-best Wimbledon

Marie Bouzkova is in the midst of a career-best run at a major tournament, roaring into her first Wimbledon quarterfinal with wins over No. 7 seed Danielle Collins, No. 28 seed Alison Riske- Amritraj, and former world No. 4 Caroline Garcia.

It was only a month ago that she suffered a case of COVID-19 that not only ruled her out of Roland Garros but also caused fatigue so severe that even a short walk initially proved challenging.

“It kind of surprised me,” Bouzkova recalled over the phone in Eastbourne. “The first week, I started to feel better after five days, and I took some social distanced walks with my brother. After five minutes, I would tell him that we needed to go back home because I would get so tired and cramped in my muscles.”

The amiable Czech, who had received a COVID-19 booster during her December pre-season, was celebrating a first main-draw win in Paris when she suddenly felt unwell.

We were walking from dinner and all the sudden I thought, ‘I don’t think I can make it back to the hotel. My joints started to hurt and my head hurt a lot. Overnight, I had fever and cold shivers, just a little bit of everything but the headaches were the worst. Marie Bouzkova

“We were walking from dinner and all the sudden I thought, ‘I don’t think I can make it back to the hotel. My joints started to hurt and my head hurt a lot. Overnight, I had fever and cold shivers, just a little bit of everything but the headaches were the worst.”

What should have been time spent playing a full schedule of grass-court tournaments was instead used to reset her body, a mid-season training bloc that seems to have paid off at SW19.

“If you would tell me before the tournament started I would be in the quarters, I probably wouldn't believe you,” she said after defeating Garcia in straight sets. “Always try to take it match by match. Since first match has been really tough journey for me.

“I have been feeling really many emotions. Yeah, just to be now in the quarters, it's something very special for me. I'm just, like, really proud right now that I've been able to handle everything the way I have and just enjoy the moment.”

Bouzkova is one of many players who’ve come down with COVID-19 in the wake of relaxed travel and movement restrictions; at Wimbledon alone the virus has felled dark horse picks like Matteo Berrettini, Marin Cilic, and Roberto Bautista Agut. Elena Rybakina contracted the virus after the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy and described a subsequently harrowing experience when she returned to action in earnest a month later at the BNP Paribas Open.

“I didn't expect that COVID is going to be that hard for me,” she admitted in March. “It was really, really tough. In one week, I think I lost four kilos. I had high fever. I really didn't expect. I thought it's going to be easier.”

Though another illness stymied her Wimbledon warm-up efforts, the Moscow-born Kazakh is back to her big-hitting best, reaching her first quarterfinal at the All England Club without dropping a set.

Last year she came agonizingly close to the last eight but ultimately bowed out to No. 2 seed Aryna Sabalenka.

“I'm enjoying my time here now because I didn't have much expectation,” she said on Monday after overcoming Petra Martic in straight sets, booking a quarterfinal clash with Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic. “I didn't have good preparation. I didn't start the grass season well with two other tournaments. I knew that the surface suits my game very good, but in the end, I'm just trying to enjoy every match I play.”

Bouzkova takes on No. 3 seed Ons Jabeur on Tuesday, but more than anything is just relieved to feel healthy again.

“It’s definitely not a nice feeling, but I was happy to get through it and hopefully I won’t get it again for some time—if ever again!”