Note to all: sporting fairytales are a rare occurrence. Don’t be fooled by Lionel Messi’s World Cup triumph in Qatar – that was an anomaly. Usually, when the pressure cooker is at its highest and the burden of history is barely a fingertip away, it can all get a little bit too much. And ultimately, it all proved too much for Ons Jabeur on Saturday, with Marketa Vondrousova the women’s singles champion at Wimbledon 2023.
The world No 42 – the first unseeded woman to win the ladies singles in its long history – had a bet with her coach that he would have to get the Wimbledon badge tattooed on his body if she won the title. Whether Jan Mertl will be deep down regretting that decision now is a moot point. The Czech 24-year-old, in beating five seeds in seven rounds, has pulled off one of the all-time shock streaks this past fortnight at the All England Club. In the split-second of victory, 6-4 6-4, with one final volley into the open court, she glanced in disbelief to her box before collapsing to the ground.
