"He has to take care of our cat" - Marketa Vondrousova jokes about husband staying home instead of attending her first Wimbledon semi-final

In a thrilling Wimbledon quarterfinal match, Czech tennis star Marketa Vondrousova triumphed over Jessica Pegula in three sets. That has taken her to her first-ever Wimbledon semifinal.

After the quarterfinal, Vondrousova candidly revealed why her husband wasn't present to cheer her on. She said he had work, and also an obligation regarding their pet cat back home in Prague.

During the post-match press conference, Vondrousova was asked about her husband's absence from the audience.

"No, he's at home," she said.

When asked if her husband might join her in London for the upcoming semi-finals, she laughingly added:

"We'll see. I don't know. I think for semis he won't come. We'll see what happens. He has to work. He has to take care of our cat. He has to stay home."

During the post-match press conference, Marketa Vondrousova also discussed the role that her husband played in her successful turnaround during the rain break. While she was alone in the waiting room, she chatted with her husband on the phone.

"He just said, 'Try to fight. You are playing good. You are playing great match,'" she shared.

Vondrousova believes that the break and the phone call helped her shift the momentum in her favor.

In the semi-finals, Marketa Vondrousova is set to play against Elina Svitolina, whom she admires for her resilience and her ability to balance her tennis career with motherhood.

"It's incredible what she did. She received a wild card and she's in semis. It's incredible. I feel like it's such a short time after a baby. She's doing amazing things," Vondrousova said about Svitolina.

Marketa Vondrousova's Wimbledon 2023 triumph over Jessica Pegula was a nerve-racking affair

Marketa Vondrousova plays a forehand in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon 2023

In a gripping quarter-final encounter on Tuesday, Marketa Vondrousova triumphed over American fourth seed Jessica Pegula 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

Out of the first nine games in the opening set, five resulted in service breaks. However, the defining moment of the set came at 4-4 when Vondrousova capitalized on a baseline rally error by Pegula, gaining the decisive break.

The 24-year-old hit an ace to get to set point, and then confidently finished it off.

But the contest took an unexpected turn in the second set as Pegula began to find her footing. By strategically approaching the net more frequently, she turned the tables and seized an early break, which gave her a 4-1 lead. A brilliant low volley at 5-2 allowed the American to break again, thus equalizing the match.

As the final set kicked off, it seemed like the tide was in favor of the 29-year-old Pegula. After saving three break points in the initial games, she managed to force Vondrousova to go long, securing another break.

However, the rollercoaster match had one more surprise in store. Post the closing of the roof due to the forecasted rain, Marketa Vondrousova managed to break back twice more upon resumption.

Vondrousova served out the match at 5-4, confirming her semi-final berth. She joins the ranks of Zheng Jie (2008) and Barbora Strycova (2019), becoming the third woman in the Open era to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals after overcoming four seeded opponents.