Izuchukwu OkosiTunisia’s Ons Jabeur on Saturday failed to win the Wimbledon title as Marketa Vondrousova became the first unseeded woman to win it in the Open era in a shock 6-4, 6-4 victory.
Jabeur was the first African and Arab woman to reach a Grand Slam final last year at Wimbledon, but losing to Elena Rybakina in three sets took the shine off that achievement.
The 24-year-old Vondrousova upset the odds on Centre Court to win her maiden Grand Slam title at the second attempt after losing to Ash Barty in the 2019 French Open final.
“After everything I’ve been through – I had a cast on this time last year – and now I can’t believe I’m holding this trophy,” said Vondrousova who was sidelined with a wrist injury in 2022.
“I don’t know what’s happening now.”
Vondrousova joins Jana Novotna and Petra Kvitova as the only Czech women to win a Wimbledon title.
She is just the ninth unseeded champion at a Grand Slam tournament.
Just 12 months ago, she was an injured bystander at Wimbledon, reduced to watching her best friend Miriam Kolodziejova attempt to qualify for the main draw.
Vondrousova’s second wrist surgery had ruled the Olympic silver medallist out for six months, although her absence from the tour at least allowed her the space and time to get married.
She was the second-lowest ranked player to reach the Wimbledon final – only Serena Williams in 2018 was lower at 181.
So unexpected was her run that she told her husband Stepan Simek to stay at home in Prague to look after their cat Frankie until the final, when a pet sitter was found to allow her partner to make the trip to Wimbledon.
The defeat was another heartbreaking blow for world number six Jabeur, who wept during an emotional post-match trophy presentation.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
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