Petra Kvitova was born in 1990, a few months before Martina Navratilova won Wimbledon, the last of her 18 Grand Slam singles titles.<\/p>\n
When she began to show an interest in tennis, Kvitova\u2019s father, Jiri, had her watch tapes of some of Navratilova\u2019s high-profile matches.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think she was consciously trying to imitate me,\u201d Navratilova said earlier this week from her Miami home. \u201cBut take some things that she could apply to her game — and she did it beautifully.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen she was on, wow, I wouldn\u2019t have wanted to play her.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Thursday, Kvitova, 35, announced this will be her last season on tour. Earlier this year, she returned to tennis after giving birth to her son, Petr — naturally, during last year\u2019s Wimbledon fortnight. She said she plans to finish her career at the US Open later this summer, after playing Wimbledon one final time.\u00a0Appropriately, that\u2019s where she won her two major titles, in 2011 and 2014.<\/p>\n
\u201cI therefore wanted to share with you that 2025 is my last season on tour as a professional,\u201d she wrote in a statement. \u201cI am excited and very much looking forward to soak in the beauty of playing The Championships, Wimbledon one more time, a place that holds the most cherished memories in my career for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Like Navratilova, Kvitova was born in Czechoslovakia before it split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Like Navratilova, she is a powerful lefty with a game made for the grass at the All England Club.<\/p>\n
Kvitova is the only active player with multiple Wimbledon titles. She beat Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-4 in the 2011 final, becoming the first Grand Slam singles champion of either gender to be born in the 1990s. Three years later, it was a 6-3, 6-0 win over Eugenie Bouchard in the championship match. Kvitova lost only three service points in the second set.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe had a great record there and killed in the finals,\u201d Navratilova said. \u201cThe lefty serve helps, because it just spins away from the backhand even more on the grass. And she had massive groundstrokes. And she could volley, you know, take the short ball and move forward.<\/p>\n
\u201cPetra wasn\u2019t the fastest player, but she was fast enough to get set up for her shots. She was unpredictable and had all the shots — forehand, down the line, crosscourt, backhand down the line, crosscourt, slice when she needed it. She dictated. Soft hands. She had everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her tennis legacy is indisputable, but it is her courage that Navratilova admires most. In 2016, Kvitova survived a home invasion in which she was stabbed repeatedly. Her left hand was so badly damaged, doctors couldn\u2019t promise she\u2019d ever play tennis again.<\/p>\n
Five months later, Kvitova was back on the Hologic WTA Tour.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was amazing because she still to this day doesn\u2019t have the feeling in her hand,\u201d Navratilova said. \u201cI have a small wedding band on my ring finger, and I move it to my right hand because I don\u2019t feel the racquet the same way, just from that ring. I always take it off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd to not have a feeling in those last two fingers [on her left hand], I can\u2019t imagine being able to play at all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kvitova didn\u2019t just come back, she excelled. She was ranked No. 6 when she reached the 2019 Australian Open final, losing to No. 4 Naomi Osaka 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-4.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe almost won it,\u201d Navratilova said. \u201cThat\u2019s crazy. Happy for her. Nothing but admiration for her and now she can relax and not have to stress anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
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