Petra Kvitová is a Czech tennis player, and a former world number 2.
📜 Petra Kvitová History
Born in Bílovec in 1990, in what was then Czechoslovakia, Kvitová grew up idolising tennis legend Martina Navratilova, a compatriot and fellow left-handed player.
Kvitová enjoyed a solid but unspectacular junior career, appearing only once in a Grand Slam juniors draw. She made her WTA-level main draw debut in 2007, in Stockholm, Sweden, and began amassing ITF titles. In 2008 the Czech beat then-world number 8 Venus Williams during an impressive year that also saw her reach the main draw of Roland-Garros - her first senior Grand Slam appearance. In 2010, Kvitová continued her rapid rise, reaching the semifinals of Wimbledon whilst still ranked outside of the top-60.
Having demonstrated her grass court pedigree in SW19 the previous year, Kvitová captured the 2011 Wimbledon singles title, beating Maria Sharapova in the final. It was the 5th title of her career, and helped propel her to number 2 in the world. At the end of the 2011 season she also won the WTA Finals, and she would win the Wimbledon trophy again in 2014.
Kvitová continued to impress, winning a steady stream of tournaments after her second Wimbledon success, but at the end of the 2016 season Kvitová was the victim of a violent robbery, during which her racquet hand was severely injured, and her playing career seriously jeopardised. However, in mid-2017 she made a strong comeback, winning the singles title in Birmingham, UK, in the summer, and re-entering the top-5 in 2018. In 2019, Kvitová reached the final of the Australian Open, and in 2020 matched her best result at Roland-Garros, reaching the semifinals.
In 2023, Kvitová won her 30th WTA level title, defeating Elena Rybakina in the final of the Miami Open. The Czech's win saw her re-enter the WTA singles top-10 for the first time in nearly 2 years.
Petra Kvitová is known for her strong, accurate serve, and her powerful groundstrokes. She is capable of hitting impressive winners, and can also use slices and drop shots when required - although she favours playing from the baseline.
