Vondrousova lowest ranked player to win Wimbledon since rankings began, first ever unseeded player to do so

Marketa Vondrousova is the Wimbledon champion with the lowest ranking in the Open Era.

The Czech player had an unexpected run on the London grass and won her first Grand Slam title by defeating the sixth seed Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-4. Marketa Vondrousova had previously reached the final of the 2019 French Open but lost to Ashleigh Barty.

At All England Club, she entered as the world No. 42, which means she wasn't even among the top 32 seeds and main favorites of the tournament. To lift the title, Vondrousova defeated five seeded players, including Veronika Kudermetova (12th), Donna Vekic (20th), Marie Bouzkova (32nd), Jessica Pegula (4th), and Ons Jabeur (6th).

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She also faced Peyton Sterns in the first round and Elina Svitolina in the semifinals, who received a wild card entry and defeated world No. 1 Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals.

The match with Svitolina was the first time that two unseeded players competed against each other in a Wimbledon semifinal, and Vondrousova's journey to the final was the second lowest-ranked path since Serena Williams in 2018.

That year, the 23-time Grand Slam champion entered the final against Angelique Kerber as the world No. 186, although she had a protected ranking that still allowed her to enter as the 25th seed. Kerber claimed her first Wimbledon title and third Grand Slam in her career that day, avenging the final she lost to Williams in 2016.

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Vondrousova then became the player with the lowest ranking to win the Wimbledon trophy and the only one who did not enter as a seed.

Other players who were part of the rankings below Vondrousova include Venus Williams in 2017 (39th), Elena Rybakina in 2022 (23rd), Venus again in 2005 (16th), and a tie between Maria Sharapova (2004), Marion Bartoli (2013), and Garbine Muguruza (2017), all of whom won the title as world No. 15.

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History Made. Marketa Vondrousova is the first ever unseeded #Wimbledon Ladies' Singles Champion 👏

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42 - Marketa Vondrousova is the lowest ranked player (#42) to win the Women’s Singles title in Wimbledon since the WTA Rankings were introduced. Incredible. #WIMBLEDON | @WTA @WTA_insider

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