Photo:Marketa Vondrousova Instagram
Marketa Vondrousova Instagram
Markéta Vondroušová is the first unseeded woman to ever winWimbledon— and her husband Stepan Simek helped her get there.
In July 2023, during the semi-finals at Wimbledon, Vondroušová was trailing 3-1 against No. 4 ranked opponent Jessica Pegula when the match was paused for 20 minutes so the court’s roof could be closed due to impending rain.
PerThe Independent, Vondroušová used that time to call her husband, who was supporting her from their home in Prague, and his words of motivation gave her the push she needed to clinch the win, she said.
“I actually didn’t see my coach,” she said of the break time. “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.”
Vondroušová went on to win the famous tournament.
“SPEECHLESS🥹🤍,” she wrote onInstagramafter defeating Ons Jabeur in the women’s singles final.
Almost exactly a year prior, the tennis professional married her husband on July 16, 2022, after a one-year engagement and five years of dating.
So, who is Markéta Vondroušová’s husband? Here’s everything to know about Stepan Simek, the man married to the Czech tennis star.
He is from the Czech Republic
Simek was born in the Czech Republic, where he currently lives with Vondroušová and their cat, Frankie.
He also plays tennis
Though he stopped before he reached a professional level like Vondroušová, Simek also played tennis growing up. According to theInternational Tennis Federation, Simek played some junior-level matches in 2012, 2014 and 2015.
Tennis holds a special place in the couple’s relationship, with the two even taking to the court for some of their wedding photos. They posed while holding rackets and tennis balls, andone snap even included a sweet kiss.
They got engaged in August 2021
Simek popped the question to Vondroušová in August 2021, just a couple of weeks after her silver medal win at the Tokyo Olympics. Sheposted pictures of the pairsmiling while she showed off her ring, which Simek kept simple with a small diamond on a gold band.
“My forever🥺❤️💍,” she wrote in the caption of her post.
They got married in July 2022
A little under a year after getting engaged, Simek and Vondroušová tied the knot on July 16, 2022. The wedding took place at Chateau Mcely, a spa resort and hotel in the Czech Republic. Vondroušová wore a flowing lace white dress with a one-shoulder sleeve and a thigh-high slit.
The Olympian shared pictures from the special dayon Instagram.
He is supportive of Vondroušová’s tennis career
Clive Brunskill/Getty
Whether he’s in the bleachers at her games or catsitting at home, Simek is always rooting for Vondroušová.
While he originally was at home with their cat in Prague as she competed in Wimbledon 2023, Vondroušová confirmed that if she were to make it to the finals, Simek would hop on a last-minute flight to London.
“I think for semis he won’t come,” she said after she won the quarter-final match. “We’ll see what happens. He has to work. He has to take care of our cat. He has to stay home.”
Two days later, Vondroušová won the semi-final match against Elina Svitolina — and confirmed Simek was on his way.
“He’s coming tomorrow with my sister,” she saidduring the press conferenceafter the match. “We texted the catsitter to come to our home and he’s coming tomorrow.”
Vondroušová went on to beat Ons Jabeur in the women’s singles final and secure her first Wimbledon win. OnInstagram, Simek shared photos from the celebratory moments that followed, including when his wife climbed into the Wimbledon stands to embrace him and her sister.
They enjoy traveling together
In March 2020, the pairenjoyed their first NBA gametogether in Los Angeles as the L.A. Lakers and L.A. Clippers faced off. A few months earlier, in November 2019, they had a relaxing vacation in the Maldives, where Vondroušováposted a romantic picture of the two kissingin the center of a pool.
source: people.com
