Joy—not results—brought Petra Kvitova back to tennis

ROME, Italy—In tennis, everyone loves a comeback story. Few things will bring disparate fan groups together quite like the former star returning to action after time away, and the results are often spectacular.

Kim Clijsters won a major title within weeks of her return in 2009. Serena Williams reached four finals in 2018 and 2019. This year alone, Belinda Bencic and Elina Svitolina have been two of the tour’s biggest success stories, both coming back from maternity leave in the last 24 months.

Petra Kvitova isn’t as certain she can achieve those heights.

“I’ve been saying even before, that people shouldn’t be expecting any great results or game or whatever,” the two-time Wimbledon winner said after winning her first match of her comeback at the 2025 Internazionali BNL d’Itlia. “Still, they do, right? I was like, ‘Ok, whatever.’”

Kvitova wasn’t even sure she’d return to tennis at all, rating the chance at about 5% after playing her last match at the 2023 China Open.

“I was like, ‘No, I can’t do it anymore,’ and we decided to go for the baby,” recalled Kvitova, who had won a WTA 1000 title earlier that year at the Miami Open. “I was like, ‘Ok,’ and then it happened straightaway and it was like, ‘Ok! We’ll see how everything goes.’”

Indeed, the two-time Wimbledon champion announced her pregnancy at the very start of 2024 and appeared ready to settle into family life with coach-turned-husband Jiri Vanek. But a return to the court after the birth of son Petr quickly helped her rediscover her competitive edge.

“When I could do some things finally after pregnancy and postpartum, I played some tennis and it felt so good and I really enjoyed it,” said Kvitova. “That was really the thing. I was laughing and every shot I hit smoothly I was like, ‘Wow! It’s still there.’ It’s not in the legs that much, but in the hands sometimes it’s very good. That was the key, why I came back.”

My parents are proud that I’m still trying, even though it’s not going that well sometimes. Petra Kvitova

She revealed her plans to come back to tennis weeks before her 35th birthday, and played her first match at a WTA 250 in Austin, Texas after a month of intense training.

“It was back to normal, unfortunately,” joked Kvitova, who said she prefers tennis to the tournaments. “I was coming back after 6 p.m. every day, not seeing my son for more than an hour before he would go to sleep. It was very sad, and of course practicing, gym, recovery. I thought I was like, ‘Oh my god, really? I want this again?’

“I’ve been doing it my whole life, basically, so it’s very natural. Still, it’s a lot of work I have to put in because I’m not where I wanted to be. It’s taking some time.”

Her first four matches ended in defeat, but a return to the Foro Italico came with an ironic change in fortune. Despite only making two quarterfinals in eight previous attempts, she nonetheless earned her first win on Grand Stand Arena, a 7-5, 6-1 win over Irina-Camelia Begu.

“It’s kind of weird that my first win came here in Rome because I never played the best here!” Kvitova laughed, flashing her inimitably sleepy smile. “I’m very glad. Even in the practices, I felt like my game was going a little bit up and I was playing a little bit better.

“I’m glad to finally have the first win,” she added, making a check mark in the air and clicking her tongue for emphasis.

She did look forward to celebrating with her family: father Vanek has been on babysitting duty all week.

I’ll play as long as I enjoy it and we’ll see how everything goes. Petra Kvitova

“I found the hotel rooms very small right now, so that’s a little bit difficult for us,” she said. “He’s everywhere! It’s better if we’re renting an apartment of something like that, so we can kind of feel like home and he has his own place where he can play with the toys or whatever.

“Otherwise, I think we are managing quite well, logistically and everything. Of course, the tournaments are helping any way they can. It’s getting tougher with him because he’s not sleeping that much anymore and he likes to crawl and standing on his legs. It’s getting tougher.”

Though she can at last claim some momentum, Kvitova, who will next face fellow former world No. 2 Ons Jabeur, didn’t know where her comeback will go—or when it will end.

“I’ll play as long as I enjoy it and we’ll see how everything goes,” she said.

“My parents are proud that I’m still trying,” she added, before conceding, “even though it’s not going that well sometimes.”