In Rome, Petra Kvitova felt a mix of relief and surprise after achieving her first victory since returning to the tour at the Internazionali BNL d`Italia.
“It feels a bit strange that my first win happened here,” she commented following her 7-5, 6-1 victory over Irina-Camelia Begu. Kvitova noted she hadn`t won back-to-back matches in Rome in ten years (since the 2015 quarterfinals), stating, “I`ve never performed my best tennis here. But it’s certainly preferable to losing.”
The former world number two had a tough start to her comeback, losing her first four matches against Jodie Burrage (Austin), Varvara Gracheva (Indian Wells), Sofia Kenin (Miami), and Katie Volynets (Madrid) – results she admits are disappointing. However, her return has surprisingly been fueled by a sense of joy.
“I was 95% sure I wouldn`t return,” she revealed, thinking back to her final tournament before maternity leave in Beijing in 2023. “I felt I`d had enough of tennis then. I thought, `I can`t continue,` so we decided to try for a baby. I kept quiet about it because it wasn`t definite.”
After her son Petr was born last July, that small remaining doubt diminished. Kvitova, who had felt restricted during pregnancy, was keen to get back on court.
“When I was finally able to be active after pregnancy, I played some tennis, and it felt amazing,” she recounted. “I was just laughing. Every smooth shot I hit, I thought, `Wow, I`ve still got it.` Maybe not in my legs, but my hands can still be very good.”
This touch was apparent against Begu, as Kvitova lost her serve only once. This happened when she first tried to serve out the first set at 5-4, but she quickly recovered, winning eight of the subsequent nine games. A notable moment was a brilliant backhand down the line hit after retrieving a difficult lob.
“I`m definitely not as fit as I`d like to be,” she admitted. “But even in practice, my game has been improving.”
While hitting shots still brings Kvitova happiness, she expressed weariness when discussing the other aspects of professional tennis life.
“You have to train daily, compete, and travel,” she said with a sigh, her voice becoming less enthusiastic. “Those are the parts I don`t enjoy… Practice, gym sessions, and recovery routines. I found myself thinking, `Oh gosh, do I really have to do this again?`”
Hotel rooms now feel cramped, especially with Petr starting to crawl and sleep less. Kvitova and her husband-coach, Jiri Vanek, now prefer staying in apartments, offering their son space to play and creating a more comfortable, home-like environment. Despite the off-court demands, the satisfaction from playing tennis currently surpasses the effort required. Kvitova is determined not to set specific goals or deadlines for this phase of her career.
“I`ll continue for as long as I`m enjoying it,” she stated resolutely.
Kvitova`s next opponent will be the 27th seed, Ons Jabeur, in the second round. Kvitova holds a 4-2 lead in their previous encounters, though this will be their first match on a clay court.
