Marketa Vondrousova has withdrawn from the Olympics due to an arm injury. She was the runner-up at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and won the Silver Medal. Vondrousova was the 12th seed at the Olympics this year and would have fancied her chances to go deep after a good European clay season, making the quarterfinals of the French Open and semifinals in Stuttgart. She was also due to play the doubles with Karolina Muchova. Katerina Siniakova will replace Vondrousova in Singles and Linda Noskova will replace her in doubles for team Czechia.
It Has Been A Tough Year For Vondrousova
Vondrousova suffered a nasty-looking fall a week before Wimbledon, in Berlin, and had to retire against Anna Kalinskaya. She got bounced in the first round at Wimbledon as a defending champion and has now suffered another injury. She’s had a history of surgeries and injuries and was almost out for the entirety of 2022 before coming back last year. She lost her grandfather a few months ago who she seemed extremely close to, and just went through a divorce this year. Divorces are tough, especially since they have been a pair since they were teenagers.
One of the hardest things to do for a player is to transition from an underdog to a favorite. When you become a Grand Slam champion, especially when people haven’t been expecting it from you, the pressure is unreal to prove that you aren’t just a one Slam wonder. Stress and criticism can have a substantial and long-term impact on these players. These pressures alongside the injuries and losses at a personal level have derailed Vondrousova’s career.
Marketa Vondrousova is a player capable of great tennis that can stun the hardest of hitters with her craftiness. She won Wimbledon last year as an underdog on her least favourite surface and made the final of the French Open as a teenager. No one can take away these achievements from her. Hopefully, she can do a reset of her life, recover from injuries, and start enjoying her tennis again.
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
