The defending champion was eliminated in the first round. © ANSA / NEIL HALL

Wimbledon defending champion already out

Defending champion Marketa Vondrousova was eliminated in the first round of the Grand Slam tournament in Wimbledon.

July 02, 2024

From: apa

The Czech suffered a surprisingly clear defeat to the Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro on Tuesday with 4:6,2:6. As the last defending champion before that, Steffi Graf had already been eliminated at the start 30 years ago.

Vondrousova won the traditional grass court tournament last year as an unseeded player. This year her preparation was hampered by a hip injury and she had to give up in Berlin. Bouzas Maneiro, ranked 83rd in the world, was able to keep the ball in play against her error-prone opponent. The 21-year-old won her first ever Grand Slam event.

Jessica Bouzas Maneiro celebrates her victory. © ANSA / NEIL HALL

With Vondrousova's elimination, Wimbledon is over for another favorite. Before that, Belarusian Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka had to give up her hopes of winning the title. She canceled her participation at short notice due to a shoulder injury.