Marketa Vondrousova withdraws from Paris Olympics 2024
(Courtesy : Getty Images)
Hand injury ends Marketa Vondrousova’s hopes of a tryst with Paris.
Marketa Vondrousova, the silver medallist at the 2020 Tokyo Games, took to social media on Monday to announce her withdrawal from the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024 due to a hand injury. Vondrousova now plans to focus on recovering in time for the US Open to be played in August.
The 2023 Wimbledon champion lost to Belinda Bencic in the gold medal round in Tokyo three years ago. She was to play in singles and doubles with Karolina Muchova.
Linda Noskova will now pair up with Karolina Muchova in the doubles, while Katerina Siniakova will replace Vondrousova in the singles event. The Czech squad also includes newly crowned Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, along with Tomas Machac, Jakub Mensik and Adam Pavlasek.
Along with Vondrousova, Belinda Bencic will also be absent. New mom Bencic is on maternity leave, having given birth to her daughter Bella in April. Bronze medallist at the Tokyo Games and Ukraine’s top-ranked player remains in the field. Bronze medalist and Ukrainian Elina Svitolina is still in the field.
The hand injury is the latest setback for the Czech, who made a first-round exit while looking to defend her Wimbledon title earlier this month. A week before Wimbledon, Vondrousova had to retire from the ecotrans Ladies Open in Berlin thanks to a nasty fall leading to a right hip injury.
Also Read: Full list of tennis players who have withdrawn from Paris Olympics 2024
Vondrousova’s first-round loss at the All England Club to Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro made her the second woman and defending champion in the Open Era to make an opening-round exit after Steffi Graf in 1994. The unexpected loss led her to slip out of the top ten from No. 6 to No. 18 in the WTA Rankings.
Marketa Vondrousova was the surprise package at Wimbledon in 2023, overcoming Ons Jabeur to win her first Grand Slam. The Czech was ranked No. #42 when she lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish and was the first unseeded woman to win at Wimbledon in the Open Era.
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