(Reuters) – Former Australian Open runner-up Petra Kvitova announced on Monday that she and her husband and longtime coach Jiri Vanek are expecting their first child. This means that the 33-year-old two-time Wimbledon champion will miss the year’s first Grand Slam, which begins in two weeks.
Kvitova is currently not playing in the ongoing tune-up tournaments in Australia, but her name appeared on the entry list for the Jan. 14-28 Melbourne Park major.
She shared the news on social media with a post on X featuring pictures of the pair holding a sonogram and a onesie, saying, “On the first day of 2024 I wanted to wish you a happy new year and share the exciting news that Jiri and I will be welcoming a baby into our family this summer.”
Kvitova also expressed her regret at missing her annual trip to Australia, saying on Instagram, “I’m looking forward to spending some time at home preparing for this exciting next chapter in our lives.”
She lost the 2019 Australian Open final to Naomi Osaka, who herself made a comeback to the tour earlier on Monday following 15 months out during which she had her first child.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Kim Coghill)
