10 Things You Didn’t Know about Petra Kvitova

Petra Kvitova

Petra Kvitova is a tennis player who turned professional in 2006. It only took three years later for Petra to begin garnering the world of women’s tennis attention, which happened when she defeated then World #1 ranked player Dinara Safina at the US Open the in only three sets. But that was just the start for Petra. Read on to learn ten interesting things about this fascinating professional athlete.

1. Petra Kvitova was Born in a Small Town (Bilovec) in the Eastern Part of the Czech Republic in 1990.

While Petra now lives in Monte Carlo, Monaco, her family, and beginnings are humble. When Petra was young, her family moved to Fulnek, another small Czech Republic town with a population of approximately 5,500. Fulnek had some of the harshest weather, so Petra’s introduction to the game of tennis began when she was three, running for stray tennis balls while her brothers battled it out on an indoor court.

2. Petra Idolized Tennis Legend, Fellow Lefty, & Czech Native Martina Navratilova as a Young Tennis Player.

Petra watched Martina Navratilova play (and win) at Wimbledon, admitting that she learned a lot about playing tennis on grass from watching Martina play on this surface.

In 2011, Petra became the first female left-handed tennis player to win at Wimbledon (All-England Club) since Martina Navratilova became the champion more than two decades earlier. Martina won in 1990, which is, ironically, the same year Petra was born.

3. Petra Kvitova’s Father was an Avid Tennis Fan who Later Became Her First Coach.

By the time she was 16, Petra was encouraged to pursue a serious career in women’s professional tennis. Kvitova was coached from 2008 to early 2016 by David Kotyza.

4. Petra Kvitova was named WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2010.

After winning Newcome of the Year, she defeated Maria Sharapova the following year for her first major win – at Wimbledon. Kvitova captured another Wimbledon win three years later when she defeated Eugenie Bouchard for her second major tournament win.

During her remarkable career – which is still ongoing, Petra Kvitova has won 29 women’s singles titles in women’s professional tennis.

Petra’s career-high ranking of world No. 2 was achieved on October 31, 2011, which was followed by a comeback in 2018 when she cracked the top five world-ranked tennis players.

Petra reached the Australian Open in 2019, her first appearance in a final match of a major tournament in nearly five years. Unfortunately, she lost to Naomi Osaka and became the runner-up that year.

5. Playing on Grass is Kvitova’s Favorite Court Surface.

Petra Kvitova prefers to play her style of tennis on grass courts. This is highlighted by the fact that her two major tournament wins are both on grass and include 2011 and 2014 Wimbledon victories.

Petra is not shy about how much she appreciates and loves the All-England (Wimbledon) locker rooms (for ranked players) which are comfy and cozy when preparing for an upcoming next. Petra has begun to stay and the same home in Wimbledon Village each year, which makes it feel a bit like a familiar home.

6. At Six Feet Tall, Petra Kvitova is Best Known for her Powerful Left-Handed Strokes & Two-Handed Backstroke.

As an indoor player, Petra learned to hit fast and hard, with a remarkable ability to disguise her shot prior to hitting it. Her pinpoint accuracy and left-handed serves are deadly when serving away from an opponent. Petra’s game style includes innate timing, as she prefers to hit the ball early, on the rise, which allows her to hit a down-the-line winner shot at will.

Her two-handed backhand is strong and solid, and compact. Petra’s opponents respect her incredible skill at returning a weak second serve with passing winners.

7. Kvitova is an Avid Reader and Loves Listening To Music.

Petra Kvitova loves to read and considers herself a music lover. She has recently read her good friend, Li Na’s, autobiography, which she calls fascinating. And you will never find her without her electronic tablet, a lifeline to her family and friends when traveling on tour.

8. When not Competing, Petra Kvitova is a Beach Lover.

While quite competitive, when Petra Kvitova needs a break from tennis and its rigors, she heads to a beach. One of her favorite beach vacations was in the Maldives, a place she describes as simply beautiful. Petra has also visited the British Virgin Islands, where she had a chance to play in the Necker Cup, an off-season tournament.

The Necker Cup, hosted by Richard Branson, is a charitable and philanthropic tourney where players donate their time to raise money. Petra Kvitova was joined by Ana Ivanovic and Daniel Hantuchova, among others.

9. Before Christmas in 2016, Petra Kvitova was Attacked During a Robbery/Break-in in her Home.

During a robbery, Petra Kvitova suffered injuries to the nerves and tendons of her left hand – her dominant hand. While she thought she would need ½ year to recover, she returned a month early and played in the French Open in 2017. Petra beat Julia Boserup in the first round of the French Open but lost in the following round.

Considering where she started, Petra Kvitova ended 2017 as the 29th best in the world, which was the first time she was knocked out of the world’s top 20 rankings since the beginning of 2011.

Petra was awarded her sixth Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award during the past seven seasons in 2017. In September 2022, Petra Kvitova had a current world ranking as a singles player of 19.

10. Kvitova Won a Bronze Olympic Medal at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.

As a representative of her home country, the Czech Republic, Petra participated in the summer Olympic games held in Brazil. In her defeat over American Madison Keys (which went the full three-set distance and included a first set tie-break), Petra earned a bronze Olympic medal making her the first Czech native to win a singles medal in the Olympics since Jana Novotna earned bronze two decades prior, in Atlanta, Georgia.

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