NEW YORK – Petra Kvitova sat in the main U.S. Open press conference on Monday, in the main interview room of the U.S. Open, a professional tennis player on Monday, and the two-time Wimbledon champion saw what she hoped.
“The organization is here. Very good,” Kvitova said. “I will be brave.”
The 35-year-old left-handed lost 6-1, 6-0 to Diane Perry in the first round of the Flushing Meadows, the last game before Kvitova retired, and when talking to reporters, Diane Perry lost 6-1, 6-0 to reporters when talking to reporters.
After 52 minutes of failure, the tears she shed on the court no longer flowed.
Kvitova said she had encountered a Covid a few weeks ago and was considering withdrawing from the U.S. Open, but wasn’t so excited on Monday.
“But since I woke up this morning, I felt it. I didn’t feel that was good. I couldn’t eat. I was really nervous. But, in a different way, I would say. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t shake, I couldn’t do anything.” “It’s really hard. I’ve never (experienced) … knowing that I’m very likely in the last game.”
Kvitova began to cry when she returned with her backhand. She walked to the stands and personally accepted a kiss from her husband Jiri Vanek, who was also her coach. They became parents in July 2024 when their son Petr was born, and Kvitova returned to the tour this season after a 17-month break.
She announced earlier this year that she would stop playing after the U.S. Open.
Kvitova won the Grand Slam title in 2011 at Wimbledon, defeating Maria Sharapova in the final and Eugenie Bouchard in 2014. At the 2019 Australian Open, she was also the runner-up for Naomi Osaka, ranking second.
In December 2016, she was stabbed by a knife-wielding invader. Kvitova needed hours of surgery to repair the nerves and tendons on her racket’s left hand.
Less than six months later, Kvitova returned to the game at the French Open, where she won her first match.
“I’ll be proud of a lot of things. I think, especially … spiritually,” she said. “All seasons…even with some injuries, illness and these things, I can handle it. I’m proud of myself for how many times I’ve encountered it in the top ten. It’s very, very special for me.”
