Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova is riding the ups and downs of the US Open, reaching the singles quarter-finals while managing an injury that forced her tearful withdrawal from doubles.
But she’s got all the inspiration she needs to keep pushing in the form of a new tattoo spotted by eagle-eyed fans.
The 24-year-old overcame a rocky start to defeat American Peyton Stearns 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 6-2 in the fourth round on Monday local time.
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And it was only afterwards that viewers cottoned on to a set of six digits inked on Vondrousova in the lead-up to the US Open.
Above a varied collection of tattoos on her right arm reads the numbers 150723 – the date of this year’s Wimbledon final.
The tattoo stemmed from a bet with her coach Jan Mertl that they would get matching ink to mark her first grand slam triumph.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s also not the first time Vondrousova toasted the victory with a marking on her body: she and her sister each sat down for a small W tattoo after Wimbledon.
Vondrousova, meanwhile, has gone all in on her bid to win another singles major after withdrawing from doubles.
The injury-enforced decision came after she and Barbora Strycova upset the No.1 seeds – and fellow Czechs – Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova in the second round.
Vondrousova was pictured in tears on Monday as the realisation hit that her withdrawal would help bring the final curtain down on Strycova’s career.
Strycova, who came out of retirement to win the women’s doubles title at Wimbledon this year, is in the mixed doubles quarter-finals.
The 37-year-old new mother embarked on her short-lived farewell tour to enjoy the atmosphere of grand slams after COVID.
Vondrousova will next take the court against Madison Keys following the American’s win over her compatriot Jessica Pegula on Monday.
Keys crashed out in the first round at Cincinnati last month but appears right at home on the New York hard courts, where she was runner-up in 2017, as she overwhelmed Pegula with 21 winners.
Pegula beat Keys in their only previous meeting last year and was considered as one of the brightest home hopes after winning the Montreal title last month.
But she lacked her usual firepower and finesse against Keys.
“I’ve had so many amazing moments in New York,” Keys said.
“Being able to at any moment come back from any difficult positions I’ve been in matches has been amazing.”
Keys, who counts Pegula as a close friend, pumped her fist in a subdued celebration as the top-ranked American dropped her serve again when she sent a forehand shot into the net on match point.
“It’s always tough having to play a friend… when we get on the court it’s all business,” she said.
– With AAP
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