Petra Kvitova’s tennis career comes to an end after first-round US Open loss

By Jill Martin, CNN

(CNN) — While a recent bout with Covid-19 didn’t give Petra Kvitova the proper preparation she probably would have liked, the two-time Wimbledon champion did successfully make her farewell to tennis the way she wanted – at the US Open.

After her 6-1, 6-0 defeat to Frenchwoman Diane Parry, Kvitova told reporters after the match she had Covid-19 three weeks ago.

“Yeah, my physicality wasn’t great,” the 35-year-old Czech said. “My lungs are not really working yet, but I hope it will be OK when I’m not practicing now.”

While she did consider not playing in New York after getting the virus, she was determined to fulfill her plan of making the US Open – the last grand slam of the year – the final tournament of her storied career.

Kvitova, who won 31 WTA Tour singles titles, had announced her retirement plans before Wimbledon. Monday at Grandstand, Kvitova was honored on the court after her match.

“I wanted to be playing here, to finish the season, like, with a grand slam and not because the Covid caught me,” Kvitova said.

Kvitova, a lefty, made her professional debut on the ITF Circuit in 2006. In 2011, she became the first player born in the 1990s to win a grand slam women’s singles title, beating Maria Sharapova. Kvitova won Wimbledon again in 2014, besting Eugenie Bouchard.

Kvitova’s final WTA Tour title came in 2023 on the grass at Berlin. She was ranked as high as No. 2 in the world and had eight top 10 seasons (2011-2015 and 2018-2020). A four-time Olympian, Kvitova won a bronze medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Kvitova notably also was well known throughout the sport for her fair play.

“Throughout her career, Petra has competed with humility and resilience and thrilled tennis audiences with her exciting brand of tennis,” Portia Archer, CEO of the WTA, said in a statement Monday.

“The fact that her player peers voted for her to receive the prestigious Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award, on eight occasions, says everything about her special place in our sport. She is a true champion, on and off court, who will be greatly missed by the WTA family and fans around the world. We wish her much joy and success in the next chapter.”

Kvitova, who gave birth to her son Petr in July 2024, spent 17 months away from the sport before making her return in February.

She was asked Monday what she’s the most proud of and what she thinks she will miss the most.

“I think I would be proudest of many things,” she said. “I think especially, as I already mentioned, the mental side, I think. All the seasons, pretty long seasons already before, and I was quite OK to handle it even with some injuries and sickness and kind of this stuff.

“I’m very proud of how I handled the pressure, how many times I have been in the top 10. It was very, very special for me. I’ve never been world No. 1, but I think still those two grand slam wins is above the world No. 1. So that’s how I’m going to take it, especially the Wimbledon ones. Yeah, I’m proud of many, many things.

“What I am going to miss, it will be the tennis itself. It’s a beautiful sport. Everything you do on the court, it’s your fault or your win. I think that’s the beauty of the sport, as well.”

The-CNN-Wire
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