Petra Kvitova welcomes firstborn son with husband Jiri Vanek in the middle of Wimbledon 2024
Petra Kvitova and husband Jiri Vanek have welcomed their firstborn son to the world, announcing the happy news to the world on Monday. The son has been named Petr, and was born on Sunday (July 7).
Kvitova and Vanek had been dating since 2021, and got married last year in July. At the start of this season, the Czech announced that she was pregnant, and went on maternity leave.
Now, in the middle of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, Kvitova took to social media to share the first glimpse of her baby. On Instagram, the two-time Wimbledon champion posted a picture of hers and Vanek's hands clasping their sons, revealing the name they have chosen as well as his date of birth.
Petra Kvitova was last in action at the China Open last year, losing in the Round of 32 to Liudmila Samsonova. Her prolonged absence on tour has pushed the former World No. 2 out of the top 100, and she currently sits at No. 125 in the WTA rankings.
"If I had to choose between a third Wimbledon title and the World No. 1 ranking, I would choose Wimbledon" - Petra Kvitova
Speaking in a column she wrote for the BBC in 2015, Petra Kvitova shed light on how much Wimbledon meant to her, stating that she would pick a third title at SW19 over the World No. 1 ranking.
Kvitova won the title at the Grass Major in 2011 and 2014, and her only other Major final came at the Australian Open in 2019 (loss to Naomi Osaka).
"If I had to choose between a third Wimbledon title and the number one ranking, I would choose Wimbledon. The ranking just shows how you're doing in the year, so I think the Slams are first and it shows in the number anyway," Petra Kvitova said.
Speaking in an interview with DW last year, the Czech revisited her maiden title in 2011, stating that she felt more mature than she did back then and that she still loved the feeling of playing on grass.
"It's a long time. It feels like yesterday, time is flying. A lot of things changed in my life, on the court and off the court. I've been through some very tough times, I didn't know if I would come back or not," Petra Kvitova said.
"I think I am more mature. I still love playing on grass, that didn't change luckily. I still love tennis and still have the motivation. That's important with age, you have more experience and you think a little bit more," she added.
As of now, it is unclear when Kvitova will be back in action, or whether she will return to the tour before the end of the 2024 season.