As the tennis world focused on the Australian Open, retired Slovak WTA star Dominika Cibulkova shared personal news: she and her husband, Michal Navara, are getting a divorce after almost ten years of marriage.
Cibulkova confirmed the separation in a message posted on Instagram, written in Slovak and shared as a screenshot. A machine translation of her statement reads:
In recent months, a lot of speculation, assumptions, and untrue information have appeared about our private life. That is why I have decided to speak out about the situation.
Together with Michal, after a long period, we have decided to go our separate ways. It was not an easy decision; however, we remain the parents of our children and continue to respect one another. Our children are and always will be our greatest priority.
Many of you surely know how painful and demanding breakups can be. This is a difficult period for us, even more so because the situation has become a public topic full of stories and guesses that have nothing to do with reality. Therefore, I would like to ask for respect for our family’s privacy.
We do not wish to comment further on this matter, nor respond to additional speculation. We thank everyone who understands that some things in life need to be lived through in private.
Thank you for your understanding and respect.
The 36-year-old mother of two also requested that people stop asking questions about the matter: “Please respect our privacy. I will not comment on this topic any further.” According to Slovak media, the couple has been living apart for several months already.
Cibulkova and Navara married in July 2016, after being together since 2010 and getting engaged in 2012. Wedding photos remain on the former tennis player’s Instagram profile.
On the court, Cibulkova reached the final of the Australian Open in 2014 and captured eight WTA titles before retiring in 2019. She earned $13,725,520 in career prize money, not including sponsorship deals or off-court income.
Shortly after retiring, Cibulkova announced her first pregnancy. The former WTA world No. 4 gave birth to her son Jakub in June 2020, and the couple welcomed their daughter Nina in March 2023.