WTA Finals Player Profile: Marketa Vondrousova 

Current Ranking: 8

W/L: 40-14

Titles: 1 (Wimbledon)

Grand Slam Record: 14-4

WTA Finals Appearance: Debut

Best Result: NA

If you’re going to win one title all year, might as well make it Wimbledon. That was Marketa Vondrousova’s philosophy this season. The 24 year-old became the first unseeded woman ever to win the game’s most hallowed tournament.

It had been a long time between drinks for Vondrousova. She made the Roland Garros final in 2019 at just 19, and struggled in the aftermath. The fourth round was as far as she got in any subsequent Slam, with a silver medal at the 2020 Olympics being other notable hardware. Injuries became frequent visitors to her young career—left wrist surgery in 2022 sidelined her for nearly six months—and dropped her once-Top 20 ranking to No. 92 at the start of 2023.

Although she steadily improved her standing with a semifinal in Linz and fourth-round appearances in Indian Wells, Miami and Rome, nobody saw Wimbledon coming. Entering No. 42 and having won just one match in four previous tries, to call Vondrousova a longshot to win Wimbledon would’ve been generous. Even her husband didn’t show up to support her, instead staying home—until the final—to cat-sit Frankie, their hairless sphynx.

But the southpaw discovered a newfound level of comfort on the tricky surface, and used her slice serve and unconventional, all-court style to make her unlikely way through the draw. The defining moment came in the quarterfinals, where she trailed Jessica Pegula 4-1 in the final set. But Cinderella wasn’t ready to leave the ball, and she ran off five straight games to close out the match.

She then rolled over sentimental favorites Elena Svitolina in the semis and Ons Jabeur in the finals to cap her historic triumph.

During the fortnight, Vondrousova drew attention for the tattoos adorning her arms. One in particular reads, “No rain, no flowers.” She’s certainly proof of that.

Grab Vondrousova’s Gear

Yonex PolyTour Air 16L ($17/set) (Purchase now at TennisShop.com)

Babolat Touch VS Natural Gut ($53/set) (Purchase now at TennisShop.com)

Vondrousova has a unique playing style, and she employs a pretty unique hybrid string setup to execute it. While its packaging describes it as a “hard” string, PolyTour Air is actually one of the more forgiving polyesters available. The monofilament is constructed with an elastic polymer that absorbs shock at contact. It’s perhaps not quite as spin-friendly or precise as other polys, but it has better pocketing, propulsion and comfort. It's a smart choice for players looking to transition into polys for the first time, or those experienced users who need something easier on the arm.

That’s Vondrousova’s main string. She blends it with VS Natural Gut in the crosses. The game’s oldest string is still coveted for its power, feel, touch, comfort and tension maintenance. Pairing it with PolyTour Air results in an unusually-soft string bed for a touring pro. Vondrousova compensates for the potential loss of control by stringing her racquets in the low-60s, a fairly high tension by today’s standards. Given the wrist problems she’s endured, the arm-friendly string combination makes a lot of sense.