Radim Zondra went to Kvitová’s flat in Prague in December 2016 claiming he needed to inspect the boiler, but then grabbed a knife and held it to her throat.

In her attempt to break free, Kvitová, Wimbledon champion in 2011 and 2014, suffered severe wounds to her left hand.

The Czech Republic star has since returned to tennis and is the current world number two on the women’s tour.

The 33-year-old Zondra, who is already time in prison for another crime, was convicted of serious battery and illegal entry into Kvitová’s apartment.

Last month the 29-year-old Kvitová, an Olympic bronze medallist at Rio 2016, told the court there was "blood all over the place" after the attack and that she offered Zondra money to leave.

She gave him CZK10,000 (£330/$440/€390), which he has now been ordered to pay back.

According to Czech news agency CTK, the judge Dagmar Bordovská ruled that Kvitová’s testimony was credible, while witnesses who testified on Zondra’s behalf were unreliable.

Zondra had denied ever being in the tennis player’s home, but it was argued that DNA evidence combined with Kvitová’s positive identification made him guilty beyond all doubt.

Kvitová, one of her country's biggest sports stars, suffered damage to ligaments and tendons in her playing hand and was warned by doctors that her tennis career could be over.

After a four hour surgery she eventually made a full recovery, returning to tennis in May 2017 and earlier this year reached the final of the Australian Open.