Marketa Vondrousova Tattoos Honor 2023 Wimbledon Victory
NEW YORK — Tattoos are nothing new for tennis star Marketa Vondrousova, who has sleeves of delicate ink tracing both of her arms.
But tattoos commemorating Grand Slam victories were certainly uncharted territory for the 24-year-old — that is, until this summer.
During her sensational run at this year's Wimbledon championships, Vondrousova revealed that she made a bet with her coach, Jan Hernych, that they'd both get tattoos if she were to win a Grand Slam. And though she had fears he'd back out of the deal, the 2023 champion confirmed to Insider that she managed to hold him to it.
Roughly a month after she defied the odds to become the first-ever unseeded female tennis player to win Wimbledon in the Open Era, the lefty and Hernych got matching ink in New York City.
"We actually did it here," Vondrousova confirmed to Insider ahead of the 2023 US Open. "So we have it."
Though the world No. 9 had publicly floated the idea of getting strawberry tattoos as an homage to Wimbledon's famous strawberries and cream dessert, the duo settled on a simpler design once they arrived in the Big Apple.
"It's the date of the final," Vondrousova revealed.
It's not the only fresh design inked onto Vondrousova's body; she and her younger sister, Julie, also got matching tattoos in honor of the Wimbledon victory. During the 2023 Canadian Open in early August, Vondrousova shared with reporters that the siblings had gotten a "small W" for Wimbledon.
The subtle decal can be seen on the inside of Prague native's left elbow, which she had injured earlier in her ascending tennis career:
Vondrousova has previously explained that she views tattoos as a form of "art." She has so many designs running up and down her arms that she struggled to estimate the total number when asked at Wimbledon.
It's safe to say she'd consider getting more ink to memorialize future Grand Slam victories. Her next chance comes at the 2023 US Open — the final major tournament of the year — where she'll play Italy's Martina Trevisan Tuesday for a spot in the third round.
