THE REIGNING WIMBLEDON CHAMPION SERVES IN THE KURPARK: MARKETA VONDROUSOVA IS LOOKING FORWARD TO A “GREAT CROWD”

The Wimbledon winner is coming to Bad Homburg! Marketa Vondrousova has confirmed her participation in the WTA 500 grass court tournament in the historic Kurpark. And the world number six from the Czech Republic can hardly wait for her debut at the fourth edition of the Bad Homburg Open powered by Solarwatt (22 to 29 June). “I’m really looking forward to it. Especially to play in front of a great crowd. I’ve already heard a lot of good thinks about the tournament,” emphasised left-hander Vondrousova, who was the first unseeded player in the Open Era to triumph at Wimbledon in 2023.

Vondrousova full of anticipation for the “special quality” of the grass courts in the Kurpark

The silver medallist at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo has long since established herself in the top ten of the WTA rankings and is one of the wider favourites at all major tournaments. Vondrousova will be on a very special mission at Kurpark: “I want to use the special quality of the courts to prepare as well as possible for my title defence at Wimbledon,” she announced.

Prehaps it is a good omen that Vondrousova will be celebrating her 25th birthday on semi-final Friday (28th of June). She would certainly be serenaded by the crowd on the Spielbank Bad Homburg Centre Court! And by winning the tournament at the Bad Homburg Open powered by Solarwatt, which has been up upgraded to a WTA 500 event, the 2019 French Open finalist could give herself a belated present.

Grass or Clay? For Vondrousova it’s Grass and Clay!

Vondrousova will be the first reigning Wimbledon champion to play on the historic TC Bad Homburg gorunds. And spectators can look forward to the all-rounder’s versatile game. The daughter of a former professional volleyball player feels just as comfortable on grass as she does on clay. In April, Vondrousova defeated Australian Open winner Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.

The Czech proved that she is a force to be reckoned with almost five years ago when she became the first teenager since Caroline Wozniacki in 2009 to reach the final of a Grand Slam tournament at the French Open in Paris. It wasn’t quite enough back then, with Vondrousova losing to Ashleigh Barty. However, her big moment came last July – at the most renowned tournament in the world. Vondrousova demolished Ons Jabeur in two sets in the Wimbledon final. “I don’t know what just happened here,” said the underdog after fulfilling her childhood dream.

Vondrousova will also meet Angelique Kerber, the 2018 Wimbledon champion, at the Bad Homburg Open powered by Solarwatt. The tournament ambassador is celebrating her Kurpark comeback after her maternity leave. The upgrade to the WTA 500 event has tripled the prize money to almost 1 million dollars, and the winner of Bad Homburg will receive twice as many world ranking points (500) as before from this year.