Petra Kvitova’s last tournament was a bit of a drama. The Czech tennis legend, a two-time Wimbledon champion, suffered a heavy defeat in the first round of the US Open to Diane Parry (France) by 0-2 (1:6, 0:6).
Petra Kvitova started her last tournament as world number 543, but that’s a bit of a lie. The Czech returned to the court earlier this year after more than a year of absence after giving birth to her son Petr in July 2024. Since her return in February, she has played eight tournaments in which she has managed to win only one match. It soon became clear that her comeback would not last long, as she announced in June that she would retire after the US Open.
The Czech was hoping to show her best play once again in New York, but in front of a nearly empty stadium, she was unable to do so. Meanwhile, her French opponent showed no mercy. In just 52 minutes, Diane Parry secured the victory, ending Petra Kvitova’s career. Emotions then took over and the Czech quickly sought solace from her husband and coach, Jiri Vanek.
“I was hoping to put on a better show, but it was very difficult, thinking that this could be my last match. It was very difficult emotionally. Thank you, New York, I am very glad that my last dance was here. I want to thank my husband and my family. My parents had to make a lot of sacrifices at the beginning of my career. It was a long and wonderful journey”, said Petra Kvitova after the match. The organizers also gave her a frame with photos from her previous appearances at the US Open.
Left-handed Petra Kvitova made her breakthrough in 2010 by reaching the semifinals of Wimbledon. In the end, this was the tournament where she would celebrate her greatest successes. In 2011, she won the final against Maria Sharapova, and three years later she lifted the title again, defeating Eugenie Bouchard. In 2011, she also won the WTA Finals and reached the second place in the world rankings. This was the highest ranking of her career.
For years, she was part of the elite, but in December 2016, fate dealt her a heavy blow. Petra Kvitova was robbed in her apartment and, while trying to defend herself, the thief stabbed her in the playing hand with a knife. The incident affected several muscles, tendons and nerves. It seemed that this was the end of her career, but the Czech tennis player still managed to return to the world elite. In 2019, she reached the final of the Australian Open and would have become world number 1 if she had won. However, this did not happen, as Naomi Osaka proved stronger in three sets.
In recent years, Petra Kvitova has gradually moved away from the top, but in 2023 she still won the prestigious WTA 1000 Miami Open. This turned out to be her last major success as a tennis player, as later that year she temporarily retired due to her pregnancy. After giving birth, major successes never came. In her career, Petra Kvitova won a total of 31 titles, making her the active player with the most trophies until her retirement.
