“Nobody in my family had any big ambitions for me” – Marketa Vondrousova picked up tennis as a playful hobby. Now, she is ranked 6th in the world and has already won a Grand Slam title last year. Throughout her journey to the Top 10 in women’s tennis, Stepan Simek is the person who stood by her through thick and thin. Both Vondrousova and Simek began dating each other in 2006 and almost fifteen years later they got engaged to each other during the 2021 Olympics. The couple tied the knot on 16 July 2022. However, as per several reports published a few months ago, Vondrousova announced her breakup with her long-time partner.

Tennis has given her so much in life that even during their wedding the couple was seen taking to court for some of their wedding photos. Her fans showered plenty of love on those pictures. But this sudden news of getting divorced after just two years of her marriage to the love of her life came as a bolt from the blue to her fans. During an interview with the Czech website Blesk, Marketa Vondrousova said, “I’m definitely not having a happy time in the last few weeks. My marriage with Stepan ended a few weeks ago, we broke up.“ She further went on to reveal that Simek had moved out with the cat.

Frankie, the sphynx cat was a beloved member of her family. Simek taking away the cat made her even more “unhappy“. Reflecting more on the breakup Vondrousova added, “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.” Stepan Simek provided constant support for her over the years, both of them even used to practice together. He was also spotted several times cheering for Marketa Vondrousova from the stands during her matches.

Simek also played tennis while growing up but he stopped playing it before reaching a pro level like Vondrousova. The couple loved to travel across the globe and they were spotted together multiple times. In 2019, they were spotted giving a romantic pose during their vacation in Maldives. A year later, they were seen enjoying their first NBA match together. Did you know Stepan Simek has also played a crucial role in motivating Marketa Vondrousova during her title run at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships?

“Try to fight” – Marketa Vondrousova recalling her conversation with her husband during the 2023 Wimbledon Championships

During the QF match against Jessica Pegula at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, Vondrousova was trailing by 3-1. But then the match was paused for about 20 minutes and as per The Independent, Marketa Vondrousova utilized that time by calling her husband who was in Prague at that time. She revealed his words gave her an extra bit of motivation to make a comeback in that match.

Vondrouosova stated, “I actually didn’t see my coach, 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.”

Even after winning the final match, she revealed he became a bit emotional after seeing her win the biggest trophy in her career. Stepan Simek was always very ambitious with Vondrousova’s prowess on the court. Can you name another couple who joined hands with the help of tennis?