According to an Associated Press report, Czech police have arrested a man who allegedly made threats against Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova.
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The incident comes on the heels of criticism that Kvitova received from a member of Czech parliament for taking up residency in Monte Carlo to avoid taxes.
According to the Czech website Radio Praha, Czech Social Democrat (ČSSD) parliamentary deputy Stanislav Huml had the following to say about Kvitova’s lack of patriotism.
“I think that we should all have a long and hard think about the fact that if someone leaves the Czech Republic and becomes a member of another state, then they should lose their Czech citizenship. Because I don’t know that the few percent less in taxes that she stands to pay in a country like Monaco deflects from the fact that perhaps the Czech Republic actually helped her achieve some of her success.”
Ivo Kaderka, head of Czech tennis, came to Kvitova's defense, saying: “Success has never been pardoned here. Now it is to be even punished." He then pointed out that Kvitova is one of many Czech players to have taken up residence away from the Czech Republic.
Many professional tennis players, including Czechs Radek Stepanek, Tomas Berdych and Lucie Safarova, have taken up residence in Monte Carlo.
According to the AP, police spokeswoman Gabriela Holcakova said Friday that a 23-year-old Czech made the threats against "a publicly known person" in a phone call to an unspecified other person on Thursday. Holcakova would not confirm Czech media reports that the targeted person was Kvitova.
Kvitova's spokesman Karel Tejkal said nobody had threatened the tennis player directly, but added: "Police did a great job."
Holcakova said the man, who was not identified, was arrested as police considered the threats serious.