Marketa Vondrousova has shared some screenshots revealing the extent of the online harassment that she has received after losing to Anhelina Kalinina in the first round of the WTA
China Open.
Vondrousova reached new heights in her career earlier this year when she unexpectedly won her first Grand Slam title at
Wimbledon. The Czech player swept past Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-4, to become the first unseeded woman to lift the trophy at the grasscourt major in the Open Era.
Now ranked No. 8 in the world, Vondrousova also achieved some deep runs over the summer on the North American swing, making the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Open and the US Open.
Arm injury at US Open followed by first-round defeat
However, the 24-year-old sustained an arm injury at Flushing Meadows which caused her to break down in tears as she was forced to withdraw from the doubles event. She had not competed since then until the China Open in Beijing this week.
The eighth seed was against World No. 28 Kalinina in the opening round. Although Vondrousova confidently won the first set 6-1, she began to struggle when Kalinina fought back to take the second set 6-4 and force a decider. The Ukrainian player then performed a reversal of the first set by winning the match 1-6, 6-4, 6-1.
After her loss, Vondrousova took to social media to voice her frustration at those harassing her online in the wake of her defeat. She included multiple screenshots of hateful comments on her Instagram stories, along with the caption "Here we go again."
Fans react by showing support
After this, many fans voiced their support for Vondrousova and condemned those harassing the player.
"Really sad that players have to go through this after basically every loss.
Marketa doesn’t deserve this at all. No one does," wrote The Tennis Letter.
"Heartbreaking to see this. Every player deserves respect, win or lose," wrote another.
"This kind of harassment cannot continue. It’s beyond disturbing," another commented.
