Petra Kvitova set to miss Australian Open following pregnancy announcement

Petra Kvitova is set to miss the Australian Open following her announcement that she is pregnant with her first child.

The two-time Wimbledon champion and 2019 runner up in Melbourne was named on the entry list for the first Grand Slam of the year, which gets underway on January 14, but took to social media to inform her followers of the news.

‘’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 wrote.

The former world No. 2 married her long-time coach Jiri Vanek in 2023 and she revealed that she is looking forward to preparing for the ‘next chapter’ of their lives.

‘’While I will miss my annual trip to Australia and competing in the sport I love, I'm looking forward to spending some time at home preparing for this exciting new chapter in our lives.’’

Currently ranked at world No. 17, Kvitova’s best result at a major last season came at Wimbledon when she reached the fourth round before being knocked out by eventual finalist Ons Jabeur.

The Czech has been absent from the tour since being defeated by Liudmila Samsonova at the China Open in October and it remains to be seen exactly when she will be back in action.