Marketa Vondrousova became the first unseeded player to win the Wimbledon women’s singles title, defeating world No. 6 Ons Jabeur in straight sets Saturday.

The 24-year-old from Czech Republic entered the 2023 tournament ranked No. 42 in the world, but she looked dominant in the final matches of her run to the Grand Slam title. She defeated Jabeur, 6-4, 6-4, in the championship, after beating Elina Svitolina, 6-3, 6-3, in the semifinal round.

“I don’t know what is happening… After everything I have been through, it is amazing I can stand here and hold this,” she said after her win, referring to the Wimbledon trophy. “Tennis is crazy. The comebacks aren’t easy you don’t know what to expect, I was hoping I could get back to this level and now this is happening.”

As a junior, Vondrousova claimed the world No. 1 ranking. And after her transition to the senior tour, she reached the French Open final as a 19-year-old in 2019. But injuries disrupted her ascent, and she did not reach another Grand Slam final until this year’s Wimbledon. She has not made it past the fourth round at the US Open or at the Australian Open.

“I‘ve been through it,” she said after her semifinal win against Svitolina. “Once I was very young, so I think it was just too much for me back then.”

Before her win against Jabeur, she made a bet with her coach: If she won the title, he would get a tattoo to commemorate the occasion, she said.

“I think we are going to go tomorrow,” she said Saturday. “I think I am going to have some beer. It was an exhausting few weeks.”

Despite the tiring run through the tournament, she has plenty to celebrate, and not just on the court. Her first wedding anniversary is tomorrow.

“I enjoyed the two weeks so much,” she said. “I am so grateful and proud of myself.”

Venus Williams will make her 24th appearance in the singles draw at Wimbledon in 2023 after she received a wild-card entry to the tournament Wednesday.

A five-time singles champion at Wimbledon, she last reached the finals of the grass-court major in 2017. The 43-year-old made her Wimbledon debut in 1997.

On Monday, Williams earned just her second win in nearly as many years — as well as her first win over a player in the top 50 in nearly four years — as she beat 48th-ranked Camila Giorgi at the Birmingham Classic in England. The win also ended a 12-match losing streak.

She’ll next play Jelena Ostapenko in the round of 16. The second-ranked player in the tournament, Ostapenko is currently ranked No. 17 in the world and made the quarterfinals of the Australian Open earlier this year.

Ahead of their match, Ostapenko called Williams “a great champion.”

“It’s amazing to share the court with her. I have nothing to lose. I will just try to play my best and I hope you guys will enjoy the match,” Ostapenko said.

The two have gone head-to-head just twice before, back in 2017 at Wimbledon and at the WTA Finals in Singapore, with Williams winning both of their previous matches.

The grass-court Birmingham Classic serves as a tune-up for Wimbledon, which begins on July 3.

Also receiving wild-card entries to the major were Elina Svitolina, Heather Watson and Katie Boulter. Svitolina is fresh off a quarterfinal run at the French Open but lost her opening round match at Birmingham earlier this week.

Wimbledon banned Russian and Belarusian players from competition last year, but the Grand Slam is set to allow them to compete neutral athletes in 2023.

Players from Russia and Belarus will be required to sign declarations of neutrality and comply with “appropriate conditions,” which include not expressing their support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Additionally, players cannot receive funding from Russian or Belarusian states, which includes sponsorship from companies that are operated or controlled by either country.

“We continue to condemn totally Russia’s illegal invasion and our wholehearted support remains with the people of Ukraine,” said Ian Hewitt, chairman of the All England Club, in a statement. “This was an incredibly difficult decision, not taken lightly or without a great deal of consideration for those who will be impacted.”

Athletes such as 2023 Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, who is from Belarus, are affected by the announcement.

Last year, Wimbledon was the only Grand Slam to not allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete. Other tournaments have allowed players to compete under a neutral flag.

“We also consider alignment between the Grand Slams to be increasingly important in the current tennis environment,” the club said.

Wimbledon is set to begin on July 3.

Wimbledon’s all-white dress code will see some changes in 2023 and beyond.

While players have long worn all white at the famed English tournament, some of the women’s players raised concerns this year with the dress code.

Olympic champion Monica Puig spoke out on the stress of the all-white requirement for players competing during their periods, and Australian tennis player Daria Gavrilova revealed to The Daily Aus that she had to skip her period around the tournament.

“Recently just being at Wimbledon, I was talking with my friends saying that I love the all-white look. But then a few girls said they hate it because it sucks to wear all white while being on your period,” she said.

“It’s true, I myself had to skip my period around Wimbledon, for the reason that I didn’t want to worry about bleeding through, as we already have enough other stress.”

While the traditional all-white garment rule will not change, current guidelines outline that undergarments “that either are or can be visible during play (including due to perspiration) must also be completely white except for a single trim of color no wider than one centimeter.”

That rule is set to be removed for female players, who will be allowed to wear colored undergarments – including underwear sports bras. The all-white rule will be limited to the top layer of clothing.

“Prioritizing women’s health and supporting players based on their individual needs is very important to us, and we are in discussions with the WTA, with manufacturers and with the medical teams about the ways in which we can do that,” The All England Club said in a statement Tuesday.

Tennis legend Billie Jean King called the all-white dress code “horrible” in an interview this week with CNN, echoing the sentiments Puig and Gavrilova shared about the stress of white undergarments for players on their periods.

“We’re always checking whether we’re showing. You get tense about it because the first thing we are is entertainers and you want whatever you wear to look immaculate, look great,” King told CNN. “We’re entertainers. We’re bringing it to the people.”

After Elena Rybakina won Wimbledon on Saturday, Russia was quick to claim the win as their own.

Russian Tennis Federation president Shamil Tarpishchev called Rybakina “our product,” though the Russian-born player now competes for Kazakhstan.

“It’s very nice! Well done Rybakina! We win the Wimbledon tournament,” Tarpischev said Saturday according to Russian news agency Ria Novosti. He later told Championat that her training program in Russia is the reason for her win.

“It’s the Russian school, after all,” he said. “She played here with us for a long time, and then in Kazakhstan.”

Russian and Belarusian athletes were banned from the tournament due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the WTA later stripped the tournament of ranking points.

While some Russian officials have claimed the win, Rybakina’s triumph will go down as the first Grand Slam win for Kazakhstan. Rybakina, who was born in Moscow, switched countries in 2018 due to financial reasons.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s always some news, but I cannot do anything about this,” Rybakina said Saturday when asked if the Russian government would be tempted to politicize her Grand Slam triumph.

She then reiterated her allegiance to Kazakhstan and pleaded for understanding when asked about condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Both of Rybakina’s parents still reside in Moscow.

“I’m playing for Kazakhstan a very long time,” she continued. “I represent them on the biggest tournaments, Olympics, which was a dream come true.

“I didn’t choose where I was born. People believed in me. Kazakhstan supported me so much. Even today I heard so much support. I saw the flags. So I don’t know how to answer these questions.”

No. 17 seed Elena Rybakina kept her head as she charged to a three-set victory over No. 3 seed Ons Jabeur in the Wimbledon final Saturday.

The Kazakh star regrouped after falling to Jabeur 6-3 in the opening set, charging to a  victory behind back-to-back 6-2 set wins.

Keeping her composure, Rybakina rarely showed emotion, even after clinching the title, despite revealing she was “super nervous” during her post-match interview.

The 23-year-old admitted in the on-court press conference that she entered Wimbledon hoping just to make it into the second week of the tournament. Exceeding her own expectations, Rybakina used her powerful serve and sturdy groundstrokes to power past Jabeur’s cheeky drop shots.

Jabeur attempted to draw Rybakina into the net, a weakness of her game, but the 23-year-old stayed the course, relying on big shots to secure the victory. Saving all four of her break points in the second set and all three in the third set, Rybakina came up clutch down the stretch.

“She deserves this,” said Jabeur, complimenting Rybakina’s impressive performance after the match.

Jabeur made history Saturday as the first Tunisian and Arab woman ever to reach a Grand Slam final. “I am trying to inspire many generations from my country,” said Jabeur.

Rybakina also achieved a major first, becoming the first player from Kazakhstan to win a major title. The Wimbledon champion was born in Russia but switched to representing Kazakhstan in 2018 at the age of 18. The country provided career resources for the young star that Russia did not.

A stunned look stayed on Rybakina’s face throughout the award ceremony. “Unbelievable,” she muttered as she saw her name placed on the Wimbledon Champions’ Board.

Ons Jabeur has been on a tear in the lead-up to the Wimbledon final, but the run shouldn’t come as a surprise to the world No. 2.

Back in January during an interview with the WTA, Jabeur predicted that she would win Wimbledon this year.

While there are no guarantees, the No. 3 seed has looked almost unstoppable heading into Saturday’s final. The 27-year-old Tunisian has lost just two sets in her last 24 matches. She’s also on an 11-match win streak and is unbeaten on grass this season.

However, opponent Elena Rybakina has also been on fire, striking the most aces of anyone on tour with 217 (including 49 at Wimbledon alone). Those aces helped her upend Simona Halep in the semifinals.

Both Jabeur and Rybakina seem to be in peak form as they head into the Wimbledon final at 9 a.m. ET Saturday.

They also aren’t afraid of one another.

“I know how Ons plays. She knows how I play,” said Rybakina of the matchup. “We know each other well. We see how it’s going to go.”

Elena Rybakina and Ons Jabeur will face off in the finals of Wimbledon after both won their respective semifinals at the grass court Grand Slam.

No. 17 seed Rybakina toppled No. 16 Simona Halep in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3 on Centre Court on Thursday. It’s the 23-year-old’s first Grand Slam final and she is the first player from Kazakhstan to reach a major final after becoming the first player from her country to reach a Grand Slam semifinal.

She’s also the youngest Wimbledon finalist since Garbine Muguruza in 2015.

On the other end of the court will be No. 3 seed Ons Jabeur, who is the first Tunisian, Arab and African woman to reach a Grand Slam final.

Jabeur beat “BBQ buddy” Tatjana Maria in three sets, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 in a 103-minute battle.

She’s now won 22 of her past 24 matches and has the opportunity to win her first Grand Slam. After the match, she said that last year’s tournament – which ended in a quarterfinal run – inspired her for her run this year.

“The dream kind of started last year when I enjoyed playing here, enjoyed the crowd,” she said. “I knew I was playing good on grass because of my game and everything. But last year, Melanie [Maillard] reminded me, my mental coach, I told her, ‘I’m coming back next year for the title,’ when I lost in the quarterfinals.”

The semifinals at Wimbledon are set after a whirlwind quarterfinal round.

Simona Halep, Elena Rybakina, Ons Jabeur and Tatjana Maria have all advanced to the second-to-last round, with at least one of the quartet set to make their first Slam final.

Halep is the lone Grand Slam champion of the group, having won Wimbledon in 2019. Third-seeded Ons Jabeur, meanwhile, is in her first Grand Slam semifinal, as are Rybakina and Maria.

The first semifinal match between Jabeur and Maria will make history. At age 34 and the No. 104 seed, Maria could become the lowest-seeded player to reach the final at Wimbledon. If Jabeur were to make the final, the Tunisian would become the first Arab and North African woman to make the final at a Slam.

Jabeur is coming off of a three-set win over Marie Bouzkova, 3-6, 6-1 6-1. Maria, meanwhile, beat her German countrywoman Jules Niemeier 4-6, 6-2, 7-5.

The match, though, is also a semifinal between friends. Jabeur has earned the title “Aunt Ons” from from Maria’s daughters Charlotte and Cecilia. On the flip side, Jabeur calls Maria her “BBQ buddy.”

“I was joking with Charlotte, I was telling her, ‘Are you going to support me or your mom?’ I’m trying to turn all the kids to my side, using the family!” Jabeur said during her post match press conference. “Maybe [we’ll] not be friends for two hours or, I don’t know how long the match will go, and be friends again at the end.”

It’s the first time in four years that the duo has faced off. Jabeur holds the edge, having won two matches against Maria while the 34-year-old has won just one.

Halep, meanwhile, is riding a 12-match win streak at Wimbledon into her third semifinal at the Slam and taking on No. 17 Rybakina. Halep is coming off of a straight-set win over Amanda Anisimova, 6-2, 6-4.

She’s beaten Rybakina in their previous two matches, although by a mere handful of points. Rybakina, meanwhile, needed three sets to beat Ajila Tomljanovic, 6-4, 2-6, 3-6.

Both matches will take place starting at 8 a.m. ET Thursday on ESPN.

Four men wearing “Where is Peng Shuai?” T-shirts at Wimbledon were stopped by security and warned about “political messaging,” leading to an public outcry.

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova voiced her anger over the situation, in which four men representing the Free Tibet human rights organization were told not to approach other spectators about the Chinese tennis star. In December, Peng accused a high-ranking official in the Chinese government of sexual assault. Soon after, she disappeared from the public eye, only to resurface later and walk back her allegations.

Peng has since retired from tennis.

“We were peacefully walking around the grounds, occasionally talking to people about Peng Shuai,” Free Tibet representative Will Hoyles told Telegraph Sport.

“We were getting huge support from people around the grounds. At one point security staff started questioning us and when we said we were just talking to people she told us not to approach people and that Wimbledon wants to remain politically neutral. Peng Shuai is still not free and WTA agrees. Wimbledon should be speaking out for her release and not trying to stop tennis fans discussing human rights.”

On Twitter, Navratilova wrote, “What? Not allowed to speak?!? WTH?”

The All England Club later confirmed the interaction.

“We can confirm that four guests were approached today by security whilst walking outside No 1 Court,” a spokesperson said. “These individuals are now enjoying their day with us and continue to be able to wear their T-shirts. Like much of the tennis community and people around the world more broadly, we remain very concerned for Peng Shuai and we continue to support the WTA’s efforts.”

In January, Tennis Australia came under fire after banning “Where is Peng Shuai?” T-shirts at the Australian Open. The ruling was later reversed.

The WTA has responded harshly to China’s response, pulling all tournaments out of the country until further notice.