- Marketa Vondrousova divorced her husband Stepan Simek a few months after winning Wimbledon
- The Czech beat Jabeur in two sets 4-6, 4-6 to claim her maiden Grand Slam victory
- Simek married the Czech tennis player in July 2022
Marketa Vondrousova divorced her husband Stepan Simek a few months after winning Wimbledon 2023.
Simek was elated following his wife’s major victory in England against a formidable opponent, Ons Jabeur.
The Czech beat Jabeur in two sets 4-6, 4-6 to claim her maiden Grand Slam victory. Simek understood better than anyone else how much Vondrousova gave to win the prestigious Wimbledon.
Simek married the Czech tennis player in July 2022 after a year of dating. As a former tennis player, he understood Vondrousova better in her tennis engagements although he retired prematurely due to unending injuries.
Is Marketa Vondrousova Divorced?
Marketa Vondrousova divorced her husband of two years Stepan Simek in 2023, a year after formalizing their marriage in July 2022. Simek and Vondrousova were childhood friends who were fond of each other especially due to their love for tennis.
Marketa Vondrousova biography. Photo/ NBC Sports.
Following his injuries, Simek decided to focus on his IT career in the Czech while still dating Vondrousova from 2016. He proposed shortly after she won the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and finally married her a year later.
The Wimbledon champion revealed that their marriage failed thereafter and that Simek moved out together with their cat. She revealed these details for the first time during an interview with the Czech press, Blesk.
“I’m definitely not having a happy time in the last few weeks. Our marriage with Stepan ended a few weeks ago, we broke up. He moved out of with the cat,” the current world No. 7 disclosed.
She said that what they thought their marriage would be like wasn’t it and they both agreed to separate.
“It just didn’t work out for us. It wasn’t what we both imagined, so we agreed not to be together anymore. Now we are formally resolving the divorce, but we have agreed on everything,” she further disclosed.
What Happened to Stepan Simek?
Simek sparked questions when he missed Vondrousova’s finals in Wimbledon last ye year to take care of sphynx cat, Frankie, back home in Prague.
He, however, posted a celebratory message of his wife’s triumph but many people questioned why he would miss such an important match.
In 2019, Vondrousova lost in straight sets against retired Australian tennis star Ashleigh Barty in the French Open final.
Simek, 26, who was at the time actively dating the 24-year-old one-time Grand Slam champion attended the match.
Vondrousova revealed that she requested her now ex-husband to attend her first final match in a major tournament.
She sent him a message shortly after defeating Elina Svitolina, 6-3 6-3, in the 2019 French Open semi-final. He agreed to fly to London and hire a sitter for their cat.
Marketa Vondrousova. Photo/People
What Does Marketa Vondrousova Say About Stepan Simek?
Despite the divorce, the Czech credits a part of her tennis success to Simek. She recalls that her ex inspired her in last year’s Wimbledon when she seemed on the edge.
Vondrousova was playing against Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals and play was halted for twenty minutes due to the rainy forecast. Court One’s roof closed thereafter just as Pegula led in the first set 3-1.
Simek talked to her and she felt so relieved that she won the match and proceeded to the finals where she beat Jabeur.
“I was alone in the waiting room. I chatted a bit with my husband. We talked on the phone. He just said: “Try to fight, you are playing good, you are playing a great match.’ That was it. I think the break helped actually. It was good,” Maily Sports reveals.
Sadly, she divorced Simek just a month after returning home from the Indian Wells. She spent a couple of days with her grandfather in Prague where he was receiving cancer treatment but passed on unfortunately a few days later.
She got the news of her grandfather’s critical condition in California for the BNP Paribas Open and all she wanted was to fly back home and be with him.
Vondrousaova credited her grandfather for her tennis success stating that he helped her start playing and turn professional.
“My grandfather was the person who stood at the very beginning of my tennis career, he was there for everything important. Without him, I would never have achieved what I have achieved in my career.”
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