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3 weeks ago
It would beryllium tempting for Petra Kvitova to dwell connected what mightiness person been arsenic she prepares for what will beryllium her past tourney earlier she retires from tennis. For each her galore achievements – she won 2 Wimbledon titles, 31 tournaments worldwide and reached world No 2 – location has agelong been a emotion that she could, possibly should, person won moreover more. Martina Navratilova, her chap Czech who won Wimbledon a grounds 9 times, said she felt Kvitova could spell connected to triumph it 5 times. But for illustration Rafael Nadal, who ever recovered a measurement to put things successful perspective, Kvitova heads into status contented that she has fixed perfectly everything she had.
“It’s my personality, probably, that I didn’t triumph more,” Kvitova says connected nan eve of nan US Open. “I deliberation I had a talent. Maybe I could activity a small spot more, but then, connected nan different hand, I deliberation possibly it will termination my talent aliases my mentality.
“I deliberation I could [have won more]. But what tin I do? I played successful nan last of nan Australian Open [in 2019], I mislaid to Naomi Osaka erstwhile she played incredibly successful nan 3rd set. There are ever a fewer mobility marks successful nan number of expansive slams. Being world No 1, that’s what I’m missing. Probably that’s nan point I would emotion to have. But if it’s not happened, it’s not happened. It would not springiness maine a amended life aliases make maine happier.”
Given what Kvitova went done successful nan mediate of her career, it’s an awesome sentiment. The champion astatine Wimbledon successful 2011 and 2014, nan left-hander was classed No 11 when, successful nan off-season astatine nan extremity of 2016, she suffered a horrific weapon attack from an intruder successful her ain home. She needed extended room connected her near manus and her doctors gave her only a 10% chance of playing again. But not only did she travel backmost wrong six months, she went connected to triumph 12 much titles and reached a career-high ranking of No 2, wrong a sniff of nan apical ranking.
It required an soul spot she didn’t cognize she possessed. “I knew I was a large combatant connected nan tribunal but astatine that clip I realised really I americium an moreover bigger combatant successful a wholly different type of myself,” she says. “That was great, moreover though it was very reliable to play tennis. I cried connected nan court, I had really bad flashbacks, I was having nightmares. So it really wasn’t easy. It took a while, but it’s each bully now. There was a large mobility mark, tin I play tennis aliases not? And I could. It was my 2nd career. It was amazing.”
Married to her coach, nan erstwhile player, Jiri Vanek, Kvitova gave commencement to her first child, boy Petr, successful July 2024. She returned to nan Tour conscionable 7 months later but struggled physically, winning conscionable 1 of her 8 matches. “I’m fresh to stop,” she says, and adds that she would for illustration to person different kid successful owed course. “Mentally, I deliberation I can’t do it immoderate more, arsenic good arsenic emotionally and physically.
“You still retrieve really you played before, really everything was soft and I was hitting winners and abruptly it’s not there.
“I’m wholly fresh [to retire]. I’m not regretting anything. I still emotion tennis but everything else, waiting for nan practices, waiting for nan car, waiting for a match, it’s conscionable tiring. And having a son, it’s a wholly different life. I conscionable want to walk much clip pinch him arsenic well.”
With a large service and crushing groundstrokes, Kvitova was 1 of nan purest ball-strikers of her generation. At her best, she was almost unbeatable, going 31-11 successful finals and winning astatine slightest 1 WTA Tour title each twelvemonth from 2011 to 2019. Her capacity successful nan 2014 Wimbledon final, erstwhile she blitzed Eugenie Bouchard of Canada 6-3, 6-0 successful 55 minutes, is hailed arsenic 1 of nan champion of each time. Not surprisingly, that’s 1 of her proudest moments. “It’s wholly different to triumph it for nan 2nd clip than for nan first time,” Kvitova says. “If you cognize really it feels for nan first time, you conscionable want to triumph it. It’s nothing, thing more. You conscionable cognize that winning feeling. That was astir apt nan champion memory.”
There were galore different highs, not slightest her six Fed Cup titles pinch nan Czech Republic. She won nan WTA Finals connected her debut successful 2011, won nan bronze badge astatine nan Olympics successful 2016 and, successful 2023, she amazed everyone by winning nan Miami Open astatine nan property of 33. “That’s 1 I was very proud of,” she says. “I didn’t play nan champion before, I wasn’t really assured astatine all, I was getting tired and old, and this happened. Very proud of that.”
Looking back, she rues her nonaccomplishment to Kirsten Flipkens successful nan quarter-final astatine Wimbledon successful 2013 – “I retrieve I was sick” – but if location is 1 lucifer she would for illustration back, supra all, it would beryllium that Australian Open last erstwhile she was edged retired by Osaka.
“That was nan astir achy lucifer of my career, it was terrible,” she admits. “On nan different hand, aft what happened to me, I would person signed everything to beryllium successful nan last complete location and person a chance to play against nan champion and beryllium competitory pinch them. There was possibly 1 game, I do retrieve 1 return, which was a small spot long, that possibly could alteration everything. I had a break point. But overall, I don’t cognize what I could change. I deliberation Naomi was conscionable a small spot better. That’s it.”
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