Petra Kvitova had announced her arrival on the centre stage in stunning fashion. The Czech left-hander crushed Maria Sharapova in the 2011 Wimbledon final and became the first player born in the 1990s to win a Grand Slam title. Just three years later, she lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish once more, further solidifying her legacy as one of the most dangerous players on grass. Now, at 35, the former World No. 2 has decided it’s time to close the curtain on a remarkable career.
After taking a break from the sport in February 2024 for maternity leave, Kvitova gave birth to her son, Petr, during the Wimbledon fortnight last July, an almost poetic coincidence for the two-time champion. Her comeback was quiet but determined. She returned to the WTA Tour in Austin, Texas, and later picked up her sole win since returning in Rome against Irina-Camelia Begu.
But it wasn’t meant to be. After a first-round loss on the grass at Queen’s Club earlier this month against Beatriz Haddad Maia, she withdrew from the Nottingham Open with a right hip injury.
The 35-year-old has decided to make this season her last. In a heartfelt message shared on X, she announced her retirement plans and wrote, “As will all phases in life, there comes a day that it is time for a new chapter, and that time for me has come now. I therefore wanted to share with you that 2025 is my last season on tour as a professional. I am excited and very much looking forward to soak in the beauty of playing The Championships, Wimbledon one more time, a place that holds the most cherished memories in my career for me. And while I am not entirely sure yet what my hardcourt swing in the US will look like, I am intending to finish my active playing career at the US Open in New York later this summer.”
On Wednesday, the All England Club announced that Petra Kvitova, currently ranked No. 572, would be the only non-British recipient of a main draw wildcard in the ladies’ singles event.
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