Petra Kvitova admits she is still recovering from COVID-19 but has no regrets about playing her final match at the US Open.
The two-time Wimbledon champion ended her career at Flushing Meadows on Monday with a swift 6-0, 6-1, loss to France’s Diane Parry. Kvitova was playing in the main draw of a Grand Slam for the 62nd time in her career. She has reached the quarter-finals of the US Open twice in 2015 and 2017.
After her latest match, an on-court ceremony took place to celebrate Kvitova’s contribution to tennis. A former world No.2, she won 31 WTA titles and reached the final of another 11 events. She also won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Kvitova also faced adversity, particularly in 2016 when she suffered a career-threatening hand injury after encountering an intruder, Radim Zondra, in her apartment with a knife. The knife was pointed at her neck, and she then battled to free herself, suffering severe wounds to her left hand in the process. She was sidelined from the sport for six months. It wasn’t until 2019 that Zondra received a jail sentence.
“Since I woke up this morning, I felt it would not be good. I couldn’t eat. I was really nervous. But in a different way,” Kvitova said of playing her last match.
“I couldn’t move, I couldn’t swing, I couldn’t do anything. It was really difficult. I never had a thing that I would know I’m playing my last match.
“It was really difficult to even imagine. I’m glad I did it. I think it’s just ending everything.”
At one point, a New York farewell was in doubt for Kvitova, who was ill with COVID-19 just three weeks ago and is still yet to fully recover.
“My physicality wasn’t great. My lungs are not really working yet, but I hope it will be okay when I’m not practicing now,” she commented.
“I wanted to play here, to finish the season with a Grand Slam and not because COVID caught me.”
Now entering retirement at the age of 35, Kvitova has no regrets about her results on the Tour. She started this season in July after spending 17 months on maternity leave following the birth of her first child.
“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. Even though I have never been World No. 1, I still think those two Grand Slam wins are above World No. 1. So that’s how I’m gonna take it, especially the Wimbledon ones. I’m proud of many, many things.”
Kvitova leaves the sport with a win-loss record of 514-258 (128-59 at Grand Slams) and career prize money of more than $37.5 million.
