Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova has officially brought her 18-year professional tennis career to an end following a straight-sets defeat in the first round of the US Open.
The 35-year-old Czech star was beaten 6-1 6-0 by France’s Diane Parry on a quiet Grandstand Court at Flushing Meadows on Monday, marking an emotional conclusion to a glittering career.
Kvitova, who announced in June that the 2024 US Open would be her final tournament, was visibly moved during her on-court interview after the match.
“I wanted to put out a better performance but it was tough to know that maybe it was my last one – [I’m] emotional,” she said. “It’s been a long and amazing journey.”
Winner of 31 WTA Tour titles, Kvitova rose to a career-high world ranking of number two and claimed Grand Slam victories at Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014. Known for her powerful groundstrokes and booming left-handed serve, she was a fan favourite throughout her career.
In 2016, her future in the sport was put in serious doubt after she was stabbed in her left hand during a home invasion. The attack caused damage to tendons and nerves in her playing hand, but she made a remarkable comeback six months later. In 2019, she reached the Australian Open final, underscoring her resilience and enduring quality.
More recently, Kvitova took a break from the tour to have her first child, Petr, missing the entire 2024 season. She returned in February but found victories hard to come by. Her only win since becoming a mother came in May, against Irina-Camelia Begu in Rome.
After a tearful farewell at Wimbledon earlier this summer – a tournament she described as her “special place” – Kvitova brought down the curtain on her career at the US Open, where she twice reached the quarter-finals.
Her final match proved difficult. After dropping the opening set in just 25 minutes, she briefly regrouped but was unable to mount a comeback. She won just four points behind her serve in the second set as Parry sealed a commanding win.
“Since I wake up this morning, I felt it. I felt it would be not good,” Kvitova admitted afterwards. “I couldn’t eat. I was really nervous. Couldn’t move, I couldn’t swing, I couldn’t do anything. It was really difficult but I’m glad I did it.”