Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova to return imminently with US tournaments targeted after pregnancy

Petra Kvitova will return to tennis imminently with the two-time Wimbledon champion set to play the ATX Open in Austin at the end of February.

She fills the void also left by Madison Keys who couldn't play due to a new WTA rule which sees top 10 players not allowed to play and she has just become on since entering.

But she will then seemingly base herself in the States before the clay with Indian Wells and Miami also targeted. She became a mother seven months ago and has previously expressed doubts about coming back.

She gave birth to a son with her coach Jiri Vanek who she married in July 2023. But in a video message, she said that the time is right to come back. She has won 31 WTA singles titles in her career and showed glimmers of a return to form in the months before her pregnancy including winning Miami.

Read also

Petra Kvitova unsure about tennis return after childbirth complication 'ordeal'

A real miss from the sport when she has been away, Kvitova likely has been training with her imminent return in only a few weeks showing that she feels like she is in the position to play again so soon.

"After fifteen months being away from tennis and having my baby boy Petr, I'm coming back to the tennis circuit," Kvitova said in a video message on Instagram.

"I really miss tennis and I miss competing," added the 34-year-old Czech. It has been a mixed bag for returning mothers with Naomi Osaka and Belinda Bencic thus far being examples when it goes right recently.

Apart from a good sendoff at the Olympics, Angelique Kerber was perhaps the other end when she couldn't replicate her form of before. Elina Svitolina has been the best example though and has played better since she returned to the sport after starting motherhood.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Unlock your ultimate tennis experience—subscribe today for exclusive access to top stories.

Subscribe