Marketa Vondrousova shares heartfelt moment with new boyfriend Andrew Paulson on hospital bed; calls him a "brave man"
Marketa Vondrousova recently shared a touching image of herself holding her boyfriend Andrew Paulson's hand as he appeared to rest on a hospital bed. The World No. 39 had revealed her relationship with Paulson only a few days earlier.
For those unaware, Marketa Vondrousova was previously engaged to her long-time partner Stepan Simek in August 2021, shortly after securing a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Almost a year later, the couple exchanged vows in an intimate ceremony at a luxurious five-star venue near Prague.
However, their relationship didn’t last, and the pair parted ways. In April of this year, Vondrousova opened up about their separation.
"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. He moved out with the cat," she told Czech website Blesk (via Tennis Now.)
Nearly seven months after filing for divorce from Stepan Simek, Marketa Vondrousova announced her relationship with Czech professional tennis player Andrew Paulson, currently ranked 406 in the ATP rankings. She shared a collage of their photos on her Instagram story and wished Paulson a happy birthday.
A few days later, the former Wimbledon champion shared another heartfelt image, this time showing her holding his hand
"Brave Man," she wrote in the captions, (translated in English from Czech)
Akin to Vondrousova, Stepan Simek also played tennis during his junior years. However, his professional aspirations were cut short due to injuries.
Notably, Simek rooted for Vondrousova throughout her triumphant run at the Wimbledon Championships last year.
When Marketa Vondrousova revealed how ex-husband Stepan Simek cried after her Wimbledon triumph
Marketa Vondrousova claimed her maiden Grand Slam title at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, defeating Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-4 in the final.
Her sister Julie and husband Stepan were in the stands to witness the Czech achieve the milestone. Following the triumph, Vondrousova shared a tight embrace with them.
Interestingly, Vondrousova revealed that it was the first time in eight years that Simek had cried so much.
"He's like this all the time (smiling). I think when I came to the box, he cried. I saw him after, and he cried a lot. I think that's the first emotion I saw him over the eight years (laughter). I think he cried on the wedding day also, but that was it for the eight years, so... That's it," she said in the press conference.
This year, however, Vondrousova has struggled to find her best form, failing to secure a tour-level title. Her most recent appearance was at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, where she was defeated by Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the first round. She later withdrew from the Paris Olympics due to a hand injury.