Two-time former Wimbledon champion, 35, announces retirement just days before start of tournament
The Czech ace won the singles Championship in south-west London on two occasions, in 2011 and 2014, and is a member of the All England Club.
Advertisement
4
Petra Kvitova won the Venus Rosewater dish in 2011 and 2014
Credit: Getty - Pool
4
Kvitova, 35, opened the new Andy Murray Arena at Queen's last week
Credit: Getty
The 35-year-old was handed a wildcard for the 2025 Championships as she has dropped down to 572nd in the world rankings.
Her inactivity can be explained by the fact she gave birth to son Petr in July 2024 and she has only won one of her seven matches this calendar year.
Kvitova will say goodbye to the sport following the conclusion of the US Open – where she has twice made the quarter-finals – and it is fair to assume New York chiefs will hand her a wildcard, too.
Her career was badly affected in December 2016 when she was
Advertisement
READ MORE TENNIS NEWS
The former world No.2 suffered severe wounds to her left hand in the fight to free herself and in March 2019, the culprit, Radim Zondra, was sentenced to eight years in jail.
When she returned to the sport five months after the ordeal, she said she was 'fortunate to be alive' and doctors never expected her to play at the top level again.
She also won an Olympic bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Games, reached the 2019 Australian Open final – where she lost in three sets to
In an Instagram post, the left-hander said: 'Growing up in my hometown of Fulnek and hitting the first tennis balls with my father on the local courts, I never imagined becoming a professional tennis player.
Advertisement
Most read in Tennis
BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK
4
Kvitova beat Genie Bouchard in the 2014 SW19 final
Credit: Getty
'Being able to travel the world, and playing in the most beautiful stadiums around the world.
'And sure enough… somehow all of that became a reality, and so much more.
Advertisement
Former Wimbledon champion resurfaces in viral ad with Rafael Nadal three years after bombshell retirement
'I've been privileged to reach incredible heights over the past 19 years since becoming a professional tennis player.
'From winning my two Wimbledon Championships, bringing home six Billie Jean King Cup trophies for the Czech Republic, reaching the world No.2 ranking and so much more.
'I've accomplished more than I could have ever imagined and I'm so grateful to everything that tennis has given me all these years.
'It has taught me countless lessons, not only on the court or in the gym, but also in life.
'I'd never be whom I am today without this beautiful sport and everything it has given me both on and off the court.
Advertisement
'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'm excited and very much looking forward to soaking 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'm not entirely sure yet what my hardcourt swing in the US will look like, I'm intending to finish my active playing career at the US Open in New York later this summer.
Advertisement
'While no such decision is ever easy to make, for me this is a happy moment!
'I'll leave the sport with the biggest smile on my face – the same smile you've seen from me on and off court throughout my whole career.
'Through all these years, I'm so incredibly thankful for the unwavering support of my family, my closest friends, my team, and all the incredible fans that have always supported me around the world over all these years.
'I could not have asked or wished for anything more – tennis has given me everything I have today, and I will continue to be forever grateful to this beautiful sport that I love.'
Advertisement
4
Kvitova poses alongside fellow Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic
Credit: Getty - Pool
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
18 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Premier League club announce plans to expand stadium capacity by 8,000 and reveal ‘urgent changes'
WOLVES have announced plans to expand their stadium capacity by 8,000 seats, with chairman Jeff Shi revealing the need for 'urgent changes.' The Premier League outfit have been playing at their famous Molineux Stadium since 1889. 1 Wolves are planning on expanding Molineux by 8,000 seats Credit: Getty It was one of the first grounds in the country to be equipped with floodlights. And after a major revamp in the early 90s, Molineux became one of England's biggest stadiums with 32,000 seats. However, those numbers are now lagging behind a lot of top flight rivals. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL But chairman Shi has now decided against a new renovation. Instead, the businessman is planning to add around 8,000 new seats to take capacity to 40,000 That would mark a major increase in revenue for Wolves, who have seen more key men leave this summer to balance the books. Matheus Cunha joined Most read in Football BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS It is not known when Wolves plan to start their work on Molineux. Yet Shi is adamant there's no rush to begin, instead claiming that 'urgent changes' are needed in other areas including hospitality. Matheus Cunha gifts Wolves team-mates Joao Gomes and Andre a Rolex ahead of Man Utd transfer He told the Business of Sport podcast: 'Molineux is not a bad stadium. 'I have been to many stadiums in the UK and it's a good stadium. 'On capacity we have 32,000, and I think it's good enough, maybe 35k or 40k is the max for the city, but it's not urgent. 'The urgent changes are that I think we should have more hospitality areas to serve the clients who want a better environment to have a conference or to eat there. We should do more on this. 'We have a very old stand, the Steve Bull stand, it's too old. The next plan is to try and change a bit there and build more areas for hospitality, similar to what Fulham did with their new stand. "That's what we are trying to do but I don't think the capacity should be much higher than it is now. "Financially, we are carefully thinking about it. The goal is not to rebuild the stand or the stadium, but to tweak it and optimise it."
The Irish Sun
33 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Luke Littler, 18, launches new side-hustle that could earn darts sensation a fortune
LUKE LITTLER has launched a new side hustle that has the potential to earn him a fortune. The Nuke is already one of the most famous sportsmen in Britain after becoming the youngest World Darts Championship winner in January. 1 Luke Littler has launched a new side hustle Credit: Getty He has built a small fortune through his results at the oche and now he looks set to add to his ever-expanding empire. Littler, 18, has launched a new property business called D16 Property Group Ltd. The name pays tribute to the manner in which the youngster won the Worlds - nailing double 16 to beat Michael van Gerwen. According to filings, Littler is the sole shareholder in the investment firm. READ MORE ON LITTLER But his agent, Martin Foulds, has been named as a director. Littler has explored several ways to invest his earnings including He has applied to have his And he plans to on weightlifting and martial arts kit and waist trimming exercise belts. Most read in Darts CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Artificial Christmas trees and baubles are also on the list, with Littler hoping to cash in on fans singing 'Walking in a Littler Wonderland' during the World Darts Championship/ Luke Littler launches new McDonald's burger as darts sensation, 18, adds fast food giants to lucrative brand deals
The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Is it big enough?' – BBC trolled as they give Wimbledon star giant microphone for interview
IGA SWIATEK was in fine form as she chatted with the BBC after her first round win at Wimbledon. But several fans watching the interview could only focus on her huge microphone. Advertisement 3 Fans couldn't believe the size of Iga Swiatek's microphone 3 The former world No1 breezed into round two at Wimbledon Credit: Getty During her subsequent day off, the five-time Grand Slam champion headed to the media balcony for a chinwag with the Beeb. Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Swiatek put on a headset - complete with bulky headphones and a massive fluffy microphone. Seeing the video on X, one fan joked: "Can we get her a bigger microphone next time?" Advertisement READMORE WIMBLEDON While a second echoed: "The mic is not big enough!!" A third quipped: "Needs a bigger mic I'm not gonna lie." And another added: "That's not a mic, that's Cookie Monster's head." Fluffy mics are used to block out noise from the wind, ensuring better audio quality. Advertisement Most read in Tennis Live Blog BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Asked about how she chills out during a tournament, Swiatek revealed that she loves an iconic 2000s TV show. The former world No1 said: "I do crosswords before the match. It's more to keep myself busy and not go on social media or the internet. 'So sorry.. I don't know if I'm supposed to do that' - Iga Swiatek admits to STEALING Wimbledon souvenirs for friends "I have a great TV show to watch. I'm watching Desperate Housewives, so I really enjoy that. Advertisement "I don't why I didn't know that show before, it's just perfect." Swiatek will return to action this afternoon, as she takes on American Caroline Dolehide on Centre Court. The Pole could then be on a collision course with former champion Elena Rybakina in round four. 3 Advertisement Wimbledon 2025 LIVE -
