NEED TO KNOW
- Two-time Wimbledon Championship winner Petra Kvitová announced that after 19 years of playing, she will retire at the close of the 2025 season
- The Czech tennis player, 35, made her announcement on Instagram Thursday, June 19
- Kvitová said she intends to finish her “active playing career” at the U.S. Open in August
Former world No. 2 Petra Kvitová is retiring.
The professional Czech tennis player, 35, announced on Instagram Thursday, June 18, that she is retiring from the game after 19 years.
“Growing up in my hometown of Fulnek and hitting the first tennis balls with my father on the local courts, I never imagined becoming a professional tennis player, being able to travel the world, and playing in the most beautiful stadiums around the world,” the two-time Wimbledon champion captioned an Instagram post of her holding the Venus Rosewater Dish in 2014.
“And sure enough…somehow all of that became a reality, and so much more,” Kvitová continued.
Throughout her nearly two-decade professional tennis career, Kvitová has won two Wimbledon Championships, in 2011 and 2014, and six Billie Jean King Cup trophies, which is the world’s largest annual international women’s tennis team competition. Achieving this feat ranked Kvitová as No. 2 in the world.
“I have accomplished more than I could have ever imagined and I am so grateful to everything that tennis has given me all these years,” Kvitová continued in the social media post.
The lessons Kvitová has learned reach far beyond the court or even the gym, she wrote.
“I would never be whom I am today without this beautiful sport, and everything it has given me both on and off the court.”
With that, Kvitová announced that at the end of the 2025 tennis season she will no longer play professionally.
“I 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,” Kvitová wrote of her last season.
Kvitová plans to end her career on a high note by playing at the U.S. Open in New York, beginning August 24 – September 7.
“While no such decision is ever easy to make, for me this is a happy moment! I will leave the sport with the biggest smile on my face – the same smile you’ve seen from me on and off court throughout my whole career,” Kvitová wrote.
Kvitová thanked her friends, family and coaches who have supported her throughout her tennis career.
“Tennis has given me everything I have today, and I will continue to be forever grateful to this beautiful sport that I love,” Kvitová concluded.
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