Bill Simons and Vinay Venkatesh
Marketa Vondrousova’s tattoo reads, “No rain, no flowers.” But this trim, athletic and appealing Czech sure likes to rain on folks’ parades.
In the Wimbledon quarterfinals, she came from behind to dash the hopes of Jessica Pegula – never mind that the first lady of American tennis was just five points from victory.
Then Marketa snuffed out the “Hey Putin, get lost” run of Ukrainian heroine Elina Svitolina. “If Svitolina wins,” said John McEnroe, “it would be absolutely insane – the best story for tennis in many years.” But it didn’t happen.
Next up was Ons Jabeur in the final. Not only is she the WTA’s Minister of Happiness, she’s in the same conversation with other tennis trailblazers such as Althea Gibson, Billie Jean King, Serena and Venus Williams, Li Na and Sania Mirza.
After all, there are 1.2 billion Africans, but there’s never been an African women’s singles Slam champ. There are 800 million Muslim women in the world, but (sorry, Sania) until now there hasn’t been one in sports who’s a household name.
But Ons is. “Her journey gives us hope,” said one Tunisian. Jabeur is admired for far more than her “Ons in a billion” uniqueness. She’s not only embraced by Africans, Arabs and women, she lights up WTA locker rooms and appeals to tennis lovers everywhere. Fun-loving and playful, humble and respectful, she’s determined – and often steely. What’s not to like?
The Tunisian had already reached two Slam finals in the past year, and early in this final she went on the offensive. Ons broke early, and hopes were high. Plus, she was facing a foe who was the lowest-ranked finalist in history and the first unseeded player woman to reach a final ever.
Vondrousova watched last year’s Wimbledon with a cast on her wrist. Prior to Wimbledon, she’d won only two grass-court matches. But here she dazzled, and each time she wobbled she fought back with the poise of a champion.
Yet another brilliant Czech native was in a Slam final (think Martina Navratilova, Hana Mandlikova, Jana Novotna, Petra Kvitova, Karolina Pliskova, Barbora Krejikova and Karolina Muchova just a month ago). She continually broke Ons’s problematic serve. From being down 4-2 in the first set she collected five straight games to go up 6-4, 1-0, 40-0.
Jabeur was glum. Her body language was wretched. “Her game has come off the boil,” said Radio Wimbledon. The Minister of Happiness looked desperately unhappy. Ons had crumbled.
But then Jabeur blasted a brilliant crosscourt backhand. It was a wake-up call. She won three games in a row to (as she had in the opening set) go up 3-1 in the second set.
They were roaring on Henman Hill – and in Tunis. We had a match on our hands. “You can do it, Ons!” shouted a hardy lad in a straw hat.
But she couldn’t. Jabeur may have been everyone’s sweetheart, but her groundies were sour. She was said to be a magician who had a hammer and a wand. But today her serve had little sizzle – only 48%. Her volleys found the net.
Calm and poised, Marketa brilliantly read the moment. She played impenetrable defense, she absorbed Ons’s power like a sponge, her return of serve was a difference maker, her slices were wicked, and, when she could, went big on her groundies. She took full advantage of her opponent’s perplexing walkabout. The weight of the world can be a bit of a burden.
Marketa, a former French Open and Olympic finalist who beat five seeds here, played with an almost zen-like patience, winning five of the last six games.
When her backhand volley gave her the coveted title 6-4, 6-4, she knelt on the grass, frozen in disbelief.
But Ons wept.
The 28-year-old had reached three of the last five Slam finals, but had only managed to win one set.
She told the crowd, “This is the most painful loss of my career.” But she insisted said she’d learn from it and will someday win a Slam. “I promise you that.”
Was her tear-stained defeat the most devastating loss here since Jana Novotna fell apart in 1993?
Others at Wimbledon may have had a more soul-stirring backstory than Vondrousova – playing for a continent or for a besieged nation. But in the end, Marketa the dream snatcher had the glory, while Jabeur’s huge worldwide fan base was left to wonder whether their inspiring warrior was on a heart wrenching mission Ons-possible. The reflective veteran sighed: “You cannot force things. It wasn’t meant to be this time.”
