Petra Kvitová’s return to form has been a gradual one. The knife attack which led to her receiving serious hand injuries clearly took its toll on her game, both physically and mentally. But the Czech’s return towards her imperious best, and her rise up the rankings again to 11th shows that she is still among the top competitors in women’s tennis, and has the capacity to win more Grand Slams to add to the two Wimbledon titles she has to her name.
She has proved at the 2020 French Open that the struggles of the past are behind her and that she is in a great position for continued success. In reaching the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, she has set herself up as one of the favourites in the French Open odds from Betfair, and will take some stopping. She’s had a straightforward passage to the last eight, not even dropping a set in her wins over Océane Dodin, Jasmine Paolini, Leylah Annie Fernandez and Zhang Shuai. It’s been the kind of performance you would expect from a player as talented and experienced as Kvitová, and you can bet she’ll be dreaming of her maiden French Open title.
Her victories at Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014 were proof that Kvitová has what it takes to win the biggest events and compete in the latter stages of tournaments on a regular basis. The 2011 victory was a seminal moment for the Czech player, as she defeated Maria Sharapova in the final to win her first Grand Slam title. It was a tournament which showcased all of Kvitová’s best qualities. She proved that she could dominate as a frontrunner in the opening four rounds, not dropping a single set en route to the quarter-final. Then, in the last eight and last four she was forced to go the distance, demonstrating her battling qualities to beat Tsvetana Pironkova and Victoria Azarenka respectively in deciding sets.
In the final she showed great class to beat Sharapova 6-3, 6-4, and repeated her Wimbledon trick three years later when she overcame Eugenie Bouchard in the final after only dropping one set in the whole tournament. These victories at Wimbledon proved her Grand Slam prowess, and it would be no surprise to see Kvitová add a few more big titles to her trophy cabinet before her career comes to an end.
You can imagine the shock she would have suffered after the horrific home invasion which left her with those hand injuries. Kvitová was kept out of action for around six months after the attack, and it was clear that she wasn’t quite herself when she returned, with just one quarter-final appearance in her next seven Grand Slams, before she exploded back into life by reaching the final of the 2019 Australian Open, losing to Naomi Osaka.
Since then, Kvitová has been a bit more consistent, and now she will have a solid French Open campaign behind her. With time to regroup and reflect before the Australian Open in January, the 30-year-old can be proud of her achievements over the last couple of years, and will be hoping there are still more special moments to come in her career.