Petra Kvitova wishes her fiance and coach Jiri Vanek on his birthday

Petra Kvitova with her fiance and coach, Jiri Vanek
Petra Kvitova with her fiance and coach, Jiri Vanek

Petra Kvitova extended warm birthday wishes to her fiance and coach Jiri Vanek, who recently turned 45.

On Monday, April 24, Kvitova took to social media to share a picture of herself with Vanek, along with writing a birthday wish for him.

"Wishing a very happy birthday to my special person ❤️," Kvitova tweeted.

Jiri Vanek and Petra Kvitova became engaged in August 2022 when the Czech coach proposed to her at Wimbledon. Rumors of their relationship have been circulating since mid-2020. They began working together during the 2016 off-season.

Posting a picture of the pair on Instagram, the two-time Wimbledon champion shared the news with her fans.

"Happy news we wanted to share with you guys… I said “yes” in my special place ❤️💍" she captioned her Instagram post.

Kvitova had previously disclosed that she began dating Vanek in 2021, just before heading to New York for the Grand Slam. It has been widely speculated that the couple started seeing each other during the 2021 Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.


Petra Kvitova says Russian and Belarusian players shouldn't be allowed at Wimbledon

Petra Kvitova at the 2020 Qatar Open
Petra Kvitova at the 2020 Qatar Open

Petra Kvitova has expressed her apprehension regarding Wimbledon's decision to permit players from Russia and Belarus to participate in the Grand Slam tournament in 2023, given the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

In 2022, the All England Club made the decision to prohibit Russian and Belarusian players from participating in Wimbledon as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war. This decision had significant consequences as the WTA, ATP, and ITF stripped Wimbledon of all ranking points.

Last month, Wimbledon announced that players from Russia and Belarus would be allowed to compete in the 2023 edition.

During a press conference, Petra Kvitova stated that her concerns lay more with the Ukrainian players and the people.

"Well, first of all, for sure, I always state like against the war. For sure I'm just more worried about the Ukrainian people and players," she said.

The former World No. 2 also acknowledged the challenging circumstances that Wimbledon faced last year. However, the Czech star was quick to add that she was not pleased with their latest decision.

Kvitova firmly believes that Russian and Belarusian players should not be permitted to participate in the prestigious grasscourt Major or even the Olympics due to the ongoing war.

"I appreciate that Wimbledon had a tough time last year not giving the points, that Belarusian and Russian didn't play. And I think they shouldn't be allowed, actually, in my opinion, either to Olympics. I'm just still a bit on the Ukrainian side of this," she added.

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