There have been times over the past year when Marketa Vondrousova has been at home in Prague, and has caught sight of the three-quarters size replica of the Venus Rosewater Dish which all winners of the Ladies’ Singles receive… and smiled anew at the reminder that the events of 50 weeks ago were not a dream.

“I have the trophy at home and I’m like ‘Oh yeah, that happened!’” said the Czech left-hander on her return to the All England Club.

“I don’t think about myself as a Wimbledon champion. But then sometimes I’m like ‘Oh yeah – I won Wimbledon last year!’”

Vondrousova’s was one of the great surprise triumphs in SW19. Having never been beyond the third round here, she was ranked 42 in the world when she saw off Ons Jabeur in the final to become the first unseeded women’s champion of the Open Era. Small wonder that as she gazed around the packed Centre Court stands with the famous plate in her hands, her first remark was: “Tennis is crazy.”

How right she was. Just 12 months previously, with her playing wrist in a cast, she had come to London during the grass court season merely to cheer on friends in qualifying at Roehampton. Back then she wondered sadly if she would ever be able to reproduce her previous peak form as runner-up to Ash Barty at Roland-Garros in 2019.

Now, with Vondrousova’s name forever inscribed in gold letters on the honours board here, she feels unaltered by her landmark win.

“I don’t think it should change you as a person,” mused the No.6 seed. “It was an amazing two weeks but I didn’t change a lot. It’s more for the people around you. They look at you differently at the tournaments and everything. But I’m just thinking about me as Marketa.”

Following tradition, she will of course commence her title defence in the opening match of Tuesday’s action on Centre Court. Across the net will be Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, world ranked No.83, for whom it will be a memorable Grand Slam main draw debut no matter what the outcome.

Vondrousova’s build-up has not quite been ideal. Facing Anna Kalinskaya on the Berlin grass just two weeks ago, she slipped during a split-step and fell, jarring her right hip so badly that two games later she pulled out.

“It’s fine now,” she said reassuringly. “It was really scary and I didn’t play for a couple of days. But I arrived here Wednesday and I’ve had a couple of great practices. I’m feeling good and I hope it's going to be okay. I can’t wait to be back on Centre Court.”

Looking back, she thinks the key to her victory last year was – as for so many – learning to move better on the surface. She had no idea at the time that she was bidding to be the seventh different women’s champion in as many years.

“I didn't really think of winning the tournament before the semi-finals,” she pondered, and then rapidly reassessed to add: “I think my first thought of winning the tournament was when I broke Ons in the second set for 5-4 and served for the match.”

Funnily enough, Vondrousova isn’t all that keen on the idea of an eighth different consecutive champion this year. She probably prefers an alternative statistic. So far in 2024, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek have successfully defended their Grand Slam crowns.

No doubt Vondrousova is all in favour of continuing that trend, although given that she has not reached another final in the intervening 12 months, she is once again viewed as a long shot.

“I don’t think you can feel stress-free as No.6 in the world,” she acknowledged. “Now people are watching you more, expecting you to play semis or finals in every tournament. I don't think that's possible.

“But women’s tennis and the women’s draw is really open these days. Matches are really tough, even in the first round. I think we can expect many surprises. On the grass courts, you never know what's going to happen.”