"We don’t say that about this woman" - Serena Williams' former coach defends Marketa Vondrousova from criticism following Wimbledon run

Serena Williams' former coach Rennae Stubbs has defended Marketa Vondrousova after the Czech was criticized for her run at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

On Thursday, Vondrousova defeated Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-3 in the semifinals to book a place in her second career Grand Slam final. In what was an all-unseeded affair, Vondrousova came through her semifinal contest in one hour and 15 minutes.

In doing so, Vondrousova became the first unseeded Wimbledon finalist in the Open Era. Ranked World No. 42, she is now the second-lowest ranked player (after Serena Williams in 2018) to reach the final at SW19.

After the match, one fan took to social media to state that Vondrousova was the worst finalist at the grasscourt Major since Eugenie Bouchard in 2014.

"worst Wimbledon finalist since Bouchard," a tweet read.

Former double World No. 1 Stubbs, however, came to Vondrousova's defense by stating her previous achievements in the sport. Stubbs also reminded everyone of the fact that the Czech is performing well after spending considerable time on the sidelines following surgery.

"No no no! We don’t say that about this woman. Slam finalist at 17, silver medalist in Tokyo, has wrist surgery and comes back after 8 months and then makes a slam final unseeded! Also no need for the tweet u sent out in general," Stubbs stated.

Vondrousova, a former junior World No. 1, won her first and only title on the WTA Tour as a 17-year-old in Biel, Switzerland, in 2017. She was the runner-up at the 2019 French Open and won the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Injuries, however, have resulted in her being inconsistent. Vondrousova was sidelined for six months thrice because of her left arm. A left wrist injury last year saw the Czech undergo surgery, which kept her on the sidelines since Stuttgart 2022. She made her comeback in Adelaide earlier this year ranked World No. 92.

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Marketa Vondrousova: "I just feel like I'm just grateful to be on a court again, to play without pain"

Marketa Vondrousova at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

Looking back at her injured-plagued career, Marketa Vondrousova expressed satisfaction at putting her troubles behind her and making a successful comeback after undergoing multiple surgeries.

"Yeah, I mean, after everything I've been through, two surgeries, it's not always easy to come back. Yeah, you don't know if you can play at this level and if you can be back at the top and back at these tournaments. I just feel like I'm just grateful to be on a court again, to play without pain. I'm just really grateful for it," she said in a press conference.

With Ons Jabeur standing between her and the Wimbledon title, Vondrousova spoke about the similarities in their playing styles and the Tunisian's experience of playing in Grand Slam finals.

"I feel like we're the same in some things. We're playing dropshots. We're playing slice. That's more my game than Sabalenka's. But we played few times already this year. We were supposed to play in Eastbourne also first round, but I withdrew," she said.

"She played finals here last year. She was playing also US Open final. She's used to playing finals in a Grand Slam. I mean, it's a final, so it's going to be tough match no matter who is there," she added.

While Jabeur and Vondrousova are tied 3-3 in the head-to-head record, the Czech player has won both their clashes in 2023, including the most recent one in the third round at Indian Wells.