“She's a complete idol here”: Marketa Vondrousova pinpoints crowd factor in loss to Emma Raducanu at Wimbledon

Marketa Vondrousova spoke about the most difficult aspect of facing former US Open champion Emma Raducanu after her second-round defeat at Wimbledon. The Brit secured a confidence-boosting victory against the 2023 Wimbledon champion, returning to the Round of 32 at the All England Club for the third time in her career.

It was one of Wednesday's most anticipated second-round clashes, featuring two former Grand Slam champions, both seeking to reclaim their prominence on Tour and contend for major titles. Vondrousova arrived inspired, with six consecutive wins and having clinched the Berlin Ladies Open title last week—defeating rivals like Madison Keys and Aryna Sabalenka along the way.

However, that streak came to an end on Wednesday on Centre Court against Raducanu. The 2023 champion admitted that dealing with the completely opposing crowd complicated matters significantly. "It's very difficult with her on Centre [Court], it seems to me that she's a complete idol here," said Vondrousova. "The Centre was packed and she was still teasing people and demanding that they support her."

"She was very excited herself, from the second ball she was shouting all over the court. It's obvious that she's enjoying it. It's just not pleasant. And when you play this well, you're in a good mood and it's hard to get out of it."

"Of course I'm disappointed, but at the same time every match I finish without pain is great for me," the former world No. 6 added. "I take it a little differently now. I'm sorry about the defeat, but at the same time I'm grateful that I can be here and focus on the game, not the pain."

Raducanu, along with Sonay Kartal, are the only British women still in contention in the third round of the women's draw. On the men's side, the surprising exit of Jack Draper leaves Cameron Norrie as the sole local among the top 32 men. Of the three names, Raducanu probably generates the most hope for a deeper run; however, she faces a major challenge in the third round.

This Friday, she will challenge none other than world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, the top favorite for the title. Raducanu will again play on Centre Court, and it remains to be seen if the Belarusian can overcome the support of the crowd, which will largely be rooting for her opponent.