Marketa Vondrousova narrowly lost to Belinda Bencic in the Olympic final three years ago in Tokyo.
The highs and lows of Marketa Vondrosuova’s career continue to peak and trough as the Czech announced her withdrawal from the Paris Olympics.
The 2023 Wimbledon champion was frustrated on the green grass this time round, bowing out in the opening round to the unseeded Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
She had been expected to play singles as well as doubles with Karolina Muchova as a part of a Czech squad that also includes new Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, as well as Linda Noskova and Katerina Siniakova.
After sustaining a hip injury against Anna Kalinskaya in Berlin, the WTA star looked out of sorts in her opening Wimbledon match, with defeat meaning she joined Steffi Graf as the second player to lose in the first round of Wimbledon the year after winning the title.
When will Marketa Vondrousova play next?
Vondrousova beat this year’s semi-finalist Donna Vekic, as well as Jessica Pegula, Elina Svitolina, and Ons Jabeur in her route to the Wimbledon title in 2023, as well as moving past Naomi Osaka and Svitolina again on her way to the gold medal match in Tokyo.
Her underwhelming exit from Wimbledon however this year allowed question marks to grow over her fitness as the Olympics approached.
In a statement on Instagram, she issued a tearful injury update: “I am very sorry, but due to health reasons I will not be participating in this year’s Olympic Games in Paris.
“I hoped until the last moment that it could go at least in doubles, but the hand problems do not let me go on the court.”
Revealing when we are likely to see her play next, she said: “I’m concentrating now to be okay at the US Open, I will keep my fingers crossed for all Czech representatives in France from a distance.”
Who will claim the gold medal in the women’s singles?
With reigning champion Bencic unable to compete due to the birth of her child earlier this year, as well as runner-up Vondrousova’s absence, the draw has been thrown wide open.
While it was unlikely that either player would have truly challenged for the gold, there are still some other notable absentees from this year’s Olympics, with Emma Raducanu, Aryna Sabalenka, and Madison Keys all skipping the games.
Iga Swiatek’s recent dominance on clay puts her in pole position for the title, with the world number one adding a third consecutive French Open title to her collection in June.
America’s Coco Gauff will also look to challenge Swiatek, along with Vondrousova’s compatriot Kreijcikova, who hopes to continue on her successful streak after clinching the Wimbledon title a week ago.
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