Shrewsbury’s part in Marketa Vondrousova's Wimbledon glory

The Czech Republic star enjoyed her visit to Shropshire last November as she impressed local tennis fans with her excellent performances in the Budgen Motors W100 tournament. Now Vondrousova has made headlines all around the world by becoming the first unseeded player to win the ladies’ singles title at SW19 following her 6-4, 6-4 victory over Tunisian sixth seed Ons Jabeur.

It was the first singles final Vondrousova had reached since getting the better of Eva Lys 7-5, 6-2 in front of a capacity crowd of around 500 at The Shrewsbury Club.

Vondrousova, 24, is the first Shrewsbury champion to go on and win a singles title at Wimbledon, although Angelique Kerber, the Wimbledon champion in 2018, did play at the Sundorne Road venue in 2009, when she lost in the quarter-finals.

Two more players who have played – and made second round exits – in Shrewsbury, Sabine Lisicki and Karolina Pliskova, lost in Wimbledon finals in 2013 and 2021 respectively.

Dave Courteen, The Shrewsbury Club’s managing director, said: “We are delighted for Marketa and her success is very well deserved. It’s wonderful she has won the Wimbledon title so soon after entertaining Shropshire tennis fans with her brilliant performances in Shrewsbury.

“We were pleased to welcome her to The Shrewsbury Club and, having already been both a French Open finalist and Olympic finalist earlier in her career, it was very clear from watching her in Shrewsbury just what an outstanding player she is.

“That she won both the singles and doubles titles at The Shrewsbury Club was all the more impressive considering it was only her second tournament back competing following wrist surgery earlier last year.

“It’s been fantastic to follow her progress at Wimbledon. I sent a good luck message to Marketa ahead of Saturday’s final and received a lovely message back from one of her team saying what a great time they had in Shrewsbury and how important tournaments like the one we are so proud to host are for players.

“Her Wimbledon victory again underlines the quality of the players we attract to Shrewsbury.

“Only last month we saw Karolina Muchova, who lost in the second round in Shrewsbury last November, reach the French Open final, so we are really excited to see who will be heading to Shropshire to play when we hold the W100 tournament again in October.”

Vondrousova, who will now rise significantly from her current world ranking of 42, quickly followed up beating German player Lys to win the singles title in Shrewsbury by partnering Miriam Kolodziejova, another Czech player, to victory in the doubles final.

The IFT World Tennis Tour, set to feature British and international stars, returns to The Shrewsbury Club between October 15-22.

It is the biggest women’s tournament, outside of the grass court season, to be played in the UK this year. Tickets can be purchased at www.worldtennistourshrewsbury.com/tickets-and-events/#tickets