“Shut up to them” – Bouzas Maneiro on her tattoo and her big win over Vondrousova
The Spaniard had come through the qualifying draw last year to make her Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon
Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro, 2024
Image Credit: Chryslene Caillaud / Panoramic
Spain’s Jessica Bouzas Maneiro has provided the biggest shock of Wimbledon this year so far. The little-known 21-year-old stunned defending champion Marketa Vondrousova in straight sets on Centre Court – making the Czech the first women’s title-holder to lose in the first round in 30 years.
It was undoubtedly the biggest win of her young career and later on, she spoke about the unique tattoo on her finger, which reads ‘SHH’. Bouzas Maneiro revealed she got the tattoo as a response to people who did not believe her and support her dreams of being a world-class tennis player.
“It was one of my first tattoos. It’s not about the people to just saying like shut up. Nothing like that,” she told the media in London on Tuesday. “When you’re a tennis player or a person in your life, you have a lot of people who saying that you cannot do it, you’re so bad, you don’t have these qualities, your effort is not so good. To these people (this) is like, shut up to them. Of course, not for the good people. It was funny for me also. I have feelings with this tattoo because I said one time if I do something good for these people, I will do it.”
“I think I’m going to love this tournament more than before” – Bouzas Maneiro
12 months ago, Bouzas Maneiro came through the qualifying draw at Wimbledon to make her Grand Slam main draw debut. On Tuesday, she added some more memories for herself on grass, this time with the win over Vondrousova.
“I had so good memories from the last year, of course. My first qualifying here in this tournament. It was my first time in grass also, last year. This is my second time in Grand Slam with my ranking. So, playing against Vondrousova in grass here in this place was another good memory. I think I’m going to love this tournament more than before. It goes better.”
Despite dominating for most of the match, the Spaniard said she tried to focus on one point at a time and not think about the big win, even if at times her mind did wander into that zone.
“I was thinking just about point by point. I was like that. Then it was one set up. Sometimes something goes for my mind, like maybe I can win, maybe I can do it. With myself, I was just trying to play every point, keep calm. It was like that until the last point. I had match point, and I was, like, point by point. I don’t know. I feel so happy right now. I can’t believe it yet, so I have to take my time. I want to celebrate with my team, just to rest, do some physio and that’s it, like a normal day.”
