Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, 24, reveals she's getting divorced from husband of two years - and he's taking the cat he missed her run to the SW19 final to look after!

Reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova has revealed she broke up with her husband of two years, just months after he celebrated her triumph on Centre Court.

The 24-year-old married Stepan Simek, two years her senior a former junior tennis player, in July 2022 after a one-year engagement.

Simek, whose promising tennis career was ended by an injury, and Vondrousova had known each since they were teenager.

The two began dating in 2016 before Simek, an IT manager in Czech Republic, proposed in August 2021, shortly after Vondrousova won silver at the Tokyo Olympics.

The couple were married a year later, but their marriage has hit the rocks and the Wimbledon champion revealed her husband had moved out, taking her beloved cat with him.

Marketa Vondrousova has revealed she broke up with her husband Stepan Simek just nine months after he celebrated her Wimbledon triumph 

Vondrousova's husband stayed home in Prague during her Wimbledon run last year to look after their cat called Frankie (right)

Vondrousova became the first unseeded ladies' singles Wimbledon champion last year

'I'm definitely not having a happy time in the last few weeks,' the world No 7 told Czech news outlet Blesk. 

'Our marriage with Stepan ended a few weeks ago, we broke up. He moved out of with the cat. 

'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.'

Simek made the headlines last summer, when he missed his wife's impressive Wimbledon run while looking after Frankie, their sphynx cat, back in Prague.

The 26-year-old was present for Vondrousova's maiden Grand Slam final in 2019 when she lost in straight sets to Ashleigh Barty in the Roland-Garros final. 

But after she beat Elina Svitolina 6-3 6-3 in the semi-final, Vondrousova revealed she had texted her husband to discuss the possibility of him flying into London for the final and said they agreed to call a cat sitter. 

'He's [Simek] coming tomorrow with my sister. We texted the cat sitter to come to our home,' she said.

Simek took his place in her wife's box for the final and wept as she beat No 6 seed Ons Jabeur 6-4 6-4 to win the first Grand Slam tournament of her career.

Earlier in the tournament, Vondrousova had credited her husband with inspiring her comeback against Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals.

With the forecast calling for rain, play was suspended for 20 minutes to allow the roof on Court One to be closed with the American leading 3-1 in the deciding set. 

As play resumed, Pegula took a 4-1 lead before Vondrousova won the next five games in a row to secure her place in the semi-final. 

An emotional Simek shed tears as he watched his wife beat Ons Jabeur in the final 

Simek flew into the London to be with his wife for the final and cheered her on from her box

Simek proposed to Vondrousova in August 2021 after she returned from the Tokyo Olympics

Vondrousova said the separation from her husband had been agreed on amicable terms 

And Vondrousova revealed her husband's motivational talk had inspired her comeback.

'I actually didn’t see my coach,' she said. 

'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.'

The divorce from Simek comes just a month after Vondrousova returned home early from the Indian Wells Open to be with her grandfather, who was being treated for cancer and passed away just days later.

'I learned in America that he was no longer well, so I definitely wanted to see him again and say goodbye,' she said.

'I am very glad that I flew and that I made it. He still perceived that we were together. 

'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.'