Petra Kvitová

2006–2010: Career beginnings, first title and ascendancy

As a junior, Kvitová achieved a career high ranking of world No. 27 on 9 July 2007. She also amassed a 35–7 and 20–9 record in the singles and doubles discipline respectively.^[7] Kvitová's lone Grand Slam tournament as a junior came at the 2007 Wimbledon Championships. In singles, eighth-seeded Kvitová advanced to the round of 16 after beating Jocelyn Rae and Malena Gordo before losing to eventual semifinalist Katarzyna Piter in straight sets. In doubles, she played alongside fellow Czech Kateřina Vaňková but they fell at the first hurdle to Mariana Duque Mariño and Michelle Larcher de Brito.

Kvitová first attempted to qualify for her first WTA tournament at the 2007 ECM Prague Open, but she lost in the second round of qualifying to Ekaterina Ivanova. She then made her debut in the main draw of a WTA tournament at the 2007 Nordea Nordic Light Open, where she lost in the first round to Marta Domachowska in three sets. Throughout the years of 2006 and 2007, Kvitová captured six ITF singles titles, four of which came in her home nation. She also made her Fed Cup debut in 2007, playing alongside Barbora Strýcová in doubles, where they lost to the Spanish team of Nuria Llagostera Vives and Virginia Ruano Pascual.

Kvitová began 2008 by upsetting Anabel Medina Garrigues in her opening match in Paris for her first ever WTA main draw victory before falling to fourth seed Elena Dementieva. Then, she racked in her first ever top 10 win by beating world No. 8 and defending champion Venus Williams in the first round in Memphis.^[8] In April, she played her first ever Fed Cup singles match where she faced Israeli Shahar Pe'er, which she won in three sets. She also won her seventh and most recent ITF singles title that same month. Kvitová then made her Grand Slam tournament debut appearance at the French Open, and went all the way to the round of 16 where she lost to Kaia Kanepi in three sets, having defeated Akiko Morigami, Samantha Stosur and 12th seed Ágnes Szávay en route. In October, she reached the quarterfinals in Zurich as a qualifier where she lost to second seed Ana Ivanovic, but the result nevertheless placed her in the top 50 rankings for the first time ever. She finished 2008 ranked world No. 44.

Kvitová started 2009 impressively by reaching her first ever final, at the Moorilla Hobart International, having defeated Sally Peers, Alona Bondarenko, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Virginie Razzano en route. There, she defeated compatriot Iveta Benešová to lift her maiden career title.^[9] After suffering consecutive winless appearances at the Australian Open, the Open GDF Suez and the Dubai Tennis Championships, she reached the third round in Indian Wells, losing to eventual champion Vera Zvonareva.^[10] She then withdrew from the French Open due to an ankle injury and then bowed out in the first round of Wimbledon. At the US Open, she defeated then-world No. 1 Dinara Safina in the third round in three sets for her first win over a reigning world No. 1. Kvitová was ranked 71 places lower than Safina at the time.^[11] However, she came up short to eventual semifinalist Yanina Wickmayer in the round of 16 in three sets. At the Generali Ladies Linz, Kvitová made her second final of the year, where she lost to Wickmayer once again.^[10] She concluded 2009 as world No. 62.

In 2010, Kvitová reached the semifinals of the Cellular South Cup, losing to eventual champion Maria Sharapova.^[12] She then sailed to the semifinals of Wimbledon, defeating Sorana Cîrstea, Zheng Jie, Victoria Azarenka, Caroline Wozniacki, and Kaia Kanepi en route, before falling to defending and eventual champion Serena Williams in straight sets.^[13] Nevertheless, she was guaranteed to crack the top 30 rankings for the first time. However, after Wimbledon, she suffered five consecutive first round defeats before breaking the losing streak at the US Open. There, she defeated Lucie Hradecká and Elena Baltacha, before losing to defending and eventual champion Kim Clijsters in the third round, having led 3–0 in the first set before going on lost the next twelve games in a row.^[14] Kvitová recorded her first top 40 finish in 2010, at world No. 34, and was also named WTA Newcomer of the Year.^[15]

2011: First Grand Slam and WTA Tour Championships titles

Kvitová holds the Venus Rosewater Dish, her first Grand Slam tournament crown, after winning the 2011 Wimbledon Championships

Kvitová started 2011 by winning her second career title at the Brisbane International, defeating the likes of third seed Nadia Petrova and fifth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova en route to the final, where she beat Andrea Petkovic for the title. With the win, she achieved the ranking of world No. 28.^[16] Kvitová was the 25th seed at the Australian Open, and she reached the quarterfinals where she lost to Vera Zvonareva.^[17] Her strong run there ensured her a top 20 debut in the rankings, at world No. 18.

Kvitová then beat Slovaks Dominika Cibulková and Daniela Hantuchová in the Fed Cup opening round to put the Czech team in the semifinals.^[18] At the Open GDF Suez, Kvitová won her second title of the year by defeating newly crowned world No. 1 and newly crowned Australian Open champion Kim Clijsters in the final in straight sets.^[19] Once again, Kvitová's ranking rose to a new high of world No. 14. After that, she suffered an early loss to Ayumi Morita in Dubai.^[20] She then lost her next two opening matches to Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová in Indian Wells, and to Kristina Barrois at an ITF tournament in Nassau.^[21] At the Sony Ericsson Open, Kvitová defeated Varvara Lepchenko in the second round but then lost her next match to Pavlyuchenkova. In the Fed Cup semifinals against Belgium, she led the Czech team into the final, with wins over Yanina Wickmayer and Kirsten Flipkens.^[22]

Kvitová kicked off her clay court season in Madrid, where she won her third title of the year and her first Premier Mandatory-level title. She beat Alexandra Dulgheru, Chanelle Scheepers and second seed Zvonareva to reach the last eight. She then overcame Cibulková and Li Na to reach the final where she defeated Victoria Azarenka to claim the title.^[23] She made her top 10 debut after the tournament at world No. 10. The following week, because Jelena Janković failed to defend her points in Rome, Kvitová moved one place up to No. 9. She played another ITF tournament at her home country in Prague, losing in the final to Magdaléna Rybáriková. Kvitová was the ninth seed at the French Open. She defeated Gréta Arn, Zheng Jie, and Vania King in straight sets, before losing to eventual champion Li Na in the fourth round, despite having led 3–0 in the deciding set.^[24]

Kvitová played a warm-up tournament for Wimbledon at Eastbourne and reached the final where she lost to Marion Bartoli in three sets.^[25] Kvitová then won her first Grand Slam title at the Wimbledon Championships. Seeded eighth, she defeated Alexa Glatch, Anne Keothavong, Roberta Vinci and Wickmayer en route to the quarterfinals. She then saw off Tsvetana Pironkova and fourth seed Azarenka to reach her first Grand Slam tournament final, where she beat fifth seed Maria Sharapova in straight sets.^[26] Thus, she became the first left-handed female player to win the singles title since Martina Navratilova in 1990, the first player of either gender born in the 1990s to win a Grand Slam tournament title and the first Czech player to win a Grand Slam singles title since Jana Novotná won Wimbledon in 1998.^[27][28][29]

Following Wimbledon, she kicked off her US Open series campaign at the Rogers Cup where lost to Petkovic in the third round. The following week at the Western & Southern Open, she lost to Petkovic in the same round once more. She was then upset by Dulgheru in the opening round of the US Open, thus becoming the first Grand Slam tournament champion to lose in the first round of the following Grand Slam without winning a set.^[30]

Kvitová, in 2011, in Moscow with the Fed Cup trophy

Kvitová's form then improved in Tokyo, where she reached the semifinals, losing to Zvonareva. She cracked the top 5 rankings, at world No. 5, after Tokyo and also qualified for the WTA Tour Championships for the first time in her career.^[31] However, the following week, she lost in the first round of the China Open to Sofia Arvidsson in three sets. Then, at the Generali Ladies Linz, she defeated Rebecca Marino, Patricia Mayr-Achleitner, Hantuchová and Janković on the way to the final, where she beat Cibulková to collect her fifth title of the season.

At the WTA Tour Championships in Istanbul, third-seeded Kvitová emerged champion, thus becoming the third player to win the title on debut.^[32] During the round-robin stage, she defeated Zvonareva, Wozniacki, and Agnieszka Radwańska in straight sets, putting her through to the semifinals. Her next opponent was Stosur, whom she beat to reach the final, a match against Azarenka for the world No. 2 ranking, which Kvitová won in three sets.^[33] She ended the year only 115 points second to Wozniacki for the No. 1 spot. She concluded 2011 by helping the Czech Republic win its maiden Fed Cup title as an independent nation, winning her singles rubbers against Maria Kirilenko and Svetlana Kuznetsova. In the end, the Czechs emerged victorious against Russia 3–2. She was also named WTA Player of the Year, WTA Most Improved Player of the Year and ITF Women's World Champion in 2011. In addition, she also won the Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award.^[34]

2012: Continued success and Hopman Cup-Fed Cup double

At the beginning of 2012, Kvitová was widely expected to reach the world No. 1 ranking.^[35][36] She stated that attaining the position "would be nice", but that her priority was to improve her game.^[35] Kvitová opted not to defend her title in Brisbane, choosing instead to participate in the Hopman Cup with Tomáš Berdych where they went on to win the title, defeating France in the final. She also won all of her singles matches at the event, defeating Tsvetana Pironkova, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Caroline Wozniacki, and Marion Bartoli.^[37] At the Apia International Sydney, Kvitová lost in the last four to Li Na. Had she won the tournament, she would have been the new world No. 1, but pressure blocked her.^[38] Nevertheless, her run to the semifinals there saw her enact the longest winning streak of her career to date, 14 wins, that dates back to her title run in Linz last October. Then, at the Australian Open, where second-seeded Kvitová was the favourite for the title, she defeated Vera Dushevina, Carla Suárez Navarro, Maria Kirilenko and Ana Ivanovic to reach her second consecutive quarterfinal of the tournament. There, she saw off Sara Errani to advance to the semifinals, where she lost in three sets to Maria Sharapova, despite having been up a break in the third set.^[39]

She continued her long run of wins in singles matches indoors (32 straight matches) with her four victories in Fed Cup against Germany and Italy, in the opening round and semifinal ties respectively. She scored those wins over the likes of Germans Julia Görges and Sabine Lisicki, and Italians Francesca Schiavone and Errani.

In Indian Wells, Kvitová lost in the third round to Christina McHale in three sets.^[40] In Miami, she exited in the second round after falling to Venus Williams in three sets.^[41] The following month in Stuttgart, she defeated Schiavone and Angelique Kerber to reach the semifinals, where she lost to Sharapova in straight sets.^[42] At the Mutua Madrid Open, she was the defending champion, but lost in the second round to compatriot Lucie Hradecká.^[43] At her next clay court tournament in Rome, she reached the quarterfinals where she lost to Kerber.^[44] Kvitová was seeded fourth at the French Open. She advanced to the semifinals for the first time in her career, after defeating Ashleigh Barty, Urszula Radwańska, Nina Bratchikova, Varvara Lepchenko, and Yaroslava Shvedova. There, she lost to Sharapova once more, for the third time in 2012.^[45]

Kvitová started her grass court season in Eastbourne where she fell to Ekaterina Makarova in the second round. As the fourth seed at Wimbledon, Kvitová defeated Akgul Amanmuradova, Elena Baltacha and Lepchenko to reach the round of 16. She then beat Schiavone to reach the quarterfinals but the first-time defending champion's journey came to an end after she was overwhelmed in straight sets by four-time and eventual champion Serena Williams. After Wimbledon, Kvitová dropped out of the top 5 rankings.^[46] Kvitová then competed at the Summer Olympics, making her maiden appearance in the singles discipline. As the sixth seed, she defeated Kateryna Bondarenko and Peng Shuai in the first two rounds, both in straight sets. She then overcame Flavia Pennetta to reach the quarterfinals. There, she was upset by Kirilenko in straight sets.^[47]

Kvitová kickstarted her US Open series campaign by winning the Rogers Cup, the eighth title of her career. She defeated Bartoli in the last 16, Tamira Paszek in the quarterfinals, Wozniacki in the semifinals and Li in the final to win the title, also ending a 10-month title draught.^[48] At the Western & Southern Open, she reached the semifinals, falling to Kerber once again. She then won her second title of the year and the ninth of her career in New Haven, where she defeated Lucie Šafářová in the quarterfinals, Errani in the semifinals and Kirilenko in the final. She also secured the US Open Series crown after her quarterfinal win over Šafářová.^[49] At the US Open, she reached the fourth round for the first time since 2009. Along the way, she defeated Polona Hercog and Frenchwomen Alizé Cornet and Pauline Parmentier. She then lost to Bartoli in three sets.^[50]

During the Asian swing, Kvitová did not enjoy much success as she suffered early losses in Tokyo and Beijing. Kvitová was named the sixth qualifier for the WTA Tour Championships following the China Open. As the defending champion, she dropped her first round robin match to Agnieszka Radwańska in straight sets and was then forced to withdraw with a virus.^[51] Kvitová ended 2012 as world No. 8. She then helped the Czech team to defend its Fed Cup title, going 1–1 in singles matches against Serbia in the final before the Czech Republic won 3–1 in the series through Šafářová.^[52]

2013: Mixed results and late-season revival

Kvitová began 2013 at the Brisbane International. Seeded sixth, she bowed out in the second round to eventual runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.^[53] She then dropped her opening match in Sydney to Dominika Cibulková.^[54] Kvitová was the eighth seed at the Australian Open. She moved past Francesca Schiavone in the first round in three sets. In the second round, however, she struggled against Laura Robson and eventually succumbed to the Brit in three sets.^[55] Kvitová was then awarded a wildcard into the Open GDF Suez. She defeated Stefanie Vögele to reach the quarterfinals where she was upset by Kristina Mladenovic in straight sets. In the opening round of Fed Cup, where the Czech team faced Australia, Kvitová started with a win in singles over Jarmila Gajdošová and followed it up with a three-set victory over Samantha Stosur, saving a match point in the process. The Czechs then advanced to the semifinals with a 4–0 scoreline.^[56]

Kvitová then sailed to her first title of the year, and a milestone 10th of her career, in Dubai, having never won a match at the tournament before. She defeated the likes of Ana Ivanovic, Agnieszka Radwańska, Caroline Wozniacki and Sara Errani en route to the title.^[57] This was followed by a quarterfinal appearance at the Qatar Total Open where she lost to Serena Williams in three sets, thus allowing Williams to regain the world No. 1 ranking.^[58] She then reached her first ever quarterfinal at the BNP Paribas Open. As the fifth seed, she defeated Olga Govortsova, Lesia Tsurenko and Klara Zakopalová before coming up short to Maria Kirilenko in three sets.^[59] This was followed by a loss to Kirsten Flipkens in the third round of Miami.

Kvitová at the 2013 Southern California Open

Kvitová started her clay court season by reaching the final in Katowice where she was upset by Roberta Vinci in straight sets.^[60] During the Fed Cup semifinal tie against Italy, Kvitová lost to Vinci once again in her first match before managing to overcome Errani in three sets. Nevertheless, the Czech team exited the tournament at that stage.^[61] In Stuttgart, Kvitová beat Germans Annika Beck and Julia Görges to reach the quarterfinals where she lost to Li Na. She then suffered an early exit Madrid to Daniela Hantuchová.^[62] In Rome, she struggled past Sabine Lisicki in her opener but then lost to Stosur.^[63] At the French Open, Kvitová beat Aravane Rezaï and Peng Shuai before losing in the third round to Jamie Hampton in straight sets, in a match where she struggled.^[64]

Kvitová kicked off the grass court season in Eastbourne, losing to Yanina Wickmayer in the second round. Seeded eighth, Kvitová reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon. She overcame Coco Vandeweghe in the first round in three sets before receiving a walkover from Yaroslava Shvedova. She reached the last eight after defeating Ekaterina Makarova and Carla Suárez Navarro but there, she succumbed to Flipkens in three sets.^[65]

During the US Open series, Kvitová reached the last eight of the Southern California Open where she was upset by Virginie Razzano.^[66] She was the defending champion at the Rogers Cup and defeated Eugenie Bouchard and Stosur to reach the quarterfinals but failed to defend her title when she lost to eventual finalist Sorana Cîrstea in three sets.^[67] At the Western & Southern Open, she lost to Wozniacki in the third round. Kvitová was the defending champion in New Haven and made the final once more but was defeated by the rising Simona Halep.^[68] At the US Open, she fell to Alison Riske in the third round, causing her to drop out of the top 10 for the first time since May 2011.^[69]

At the Toray Pan Pacific Open, seventh-seeded Kvitová reached the quarterfinals after defeating a pair of youngsters, Belinda Bencic and Madison Keys, both in straight sets. Then, she overcame Svetlana Kuznetsova and Venus Williams to reach the final where she defeated Angelique Kerber for her second title of 2013, her 11th career title overall.^[70] She then reached the semifinals of the China Open where she lost to Jelena Janković. As a result of her strong results in Asia, she successfully qualified for the WTA Tour Championships on 7 October.^[71] As the fifth seed, she made the semifinals after recording victories over Radwańska and Kerber in the round robin stage but there, she lost to Li in straight sets.^[72] She ended the year as world No. 6. Furthermore, Kvitová was awarded the Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award for the second time.

2014: Second Wimbledon title and Fed Cup triplet

Kvitová started 2014 by playing the Hopman Cup with Radek Štěpánek. She won all of her singles matches but they did not advance to the final, finishing second in their group behind eventual champions France. Kvitová then competed in Sydney where she advanced to the last four after defeating Christina McHale and compatriot Lucie Šafářová. There, she was stunned by qualifier Tsvetana Pironkova in straight sets.^[73] At the Australian Open, she succumbed to Luksika Kumkhum in the first round in three sets.^[74] It was the first time Kvitová exited a Grand Slam tournament in the opening round since the 2011 US Open.

Kvitová at the 2014 Wimbledon Championships

Kvitová was scheduled to play the Open GDF Suez, but withdrew prior to her opening match because of a respiratory illness.^[75] Because of this, she was unable to compete in the Fed Cup opening round tie against Spain. At the Qatar Total Open, third-seeded Kvitová cruised into the quarterfinals with two tough three-set victories over Venus Williams and Šafářová before falling to Jelena Janković in straight sets.^[76] At the Dubai Tennis Championships, she failed to defend her title when she lost her opening match to Carla Suárez Navarro.^[77] Next, Kvitová competed in Indian Wells where she was the eighth seed. She beat Coco Vandeweghe and Svetlana Kuznetsova before losing to Dominika Cibulková.^[78] In Miami, she was seeded eighth again and defeated Paula Ormaechea, Donna Vekić and 12th seed Ana Ivanovic to reach her first quarterfinal of the tournament. There, she fell to fourth seed Maria Sharapova in straight sets.^[79]

At the Fed Cup semifinal tie against Italy, Kvitová dispatched both Camila Giorgi and Roberta Vinci in straight sets, thus sending the Czech team into their third final in the last four years.^[80] Kvitová began her clay court campaign in Stuttgart, losing to Alisa Kleybanova in her opening match.^[81] At the Mutua Madrid Open, she defeated Sorana Cîrstea, Varvara Lepchenko and Šafářová to reach the quarterfinals, where she received a walkover from top seed Serena Williams. She then lost to eventual finalist Simona Halep in the last four.^[82] Kvitová then loss her opening match in Rome to Zhang Shuai.^[83] She exited in the third round of the French Open for the second year in a row, this time to former champion Kuznetsova in a marathon three-setter.^[84]

During the grass court swing, Kvitová competed in Eastbourne where she advanced to the quarterfinals but was then forced to withdraw due to a hamstring injury.^[85] Kvitová was seeded sixth at Wimbledon. She won her first two matches easily against compatriot Andrea Hlaváčková and German Mona Barthel. She faced former champion and 30th seed Venus Williams in the third round and was two points away from losing the match but went on to win in three sets. After dismissing Peng Shuai in the fourth round, she beat two more Czechs in the form of Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová and Šafářová to reach the final. There, she defeated Eugenie Bouchard in straight sets to win her second Grand Slam title.^[86][87] She rose to world No. 4 as a result, thus returning to the top 5 rankings for the first time since 2012.

Kvitová kicked off the US Open Series at the Rogers Cup where she was the second seed. She received a first round bye and faced Aussie Casey Dellacqua in her opening match, which she won in straight sets. In the third round, she lost to Ekaterina Makarova in three sets.^[88] In Cincinnati, third-seeded Kvitová received a first round bye and faced Elina Svitolina in her opener but was upset by the Ukrainian in straight sets.^[89] At the Connecticut Open where she was seeded second, she received a bye into second round where she faced Makarova again, whom which she defeated easily in straight sets this time to reach the last eight. She was the only seed to reach the quarterfinals. There, she beat Záhlavová-Strýcová in straight sets. She then went on to defeat Samantha Stosur to reach her third consecutive final in New Haven. She won the title by defeating Slovak Magdaléna Rybáriková in the final, her 13th career title.^[90] At the US Open, Kvitová was upset by Serbian qualifier Aleksandra Krunić in the third round.^[91]

Kvitová (third from left) qualified for the 2014 WTA Finals, for the fourth time in a row

The following month at the inaugural Wuhan Open, third-seeded Kvitová cruised into the third round on an upset-filled day by defeating Italy's Karin Knapp in her opening match in straight sets. She then overcame fellow Czech Karolína Plíšková for a place in the last eight where she moved past Caroline Garcia. In the semifinals, Kvitová avenged her loss to Svitolina by defeating the Ukrainian in straight sets to reach the final. There, she beat Bouchard in straight sets to claim her 14th career title.^[92] With this victory, Kvitová became the fourth player to qualify for the WTA Finals in Singapore.^[93] It was also the first time since 2011 where she had won more than two titles in a season. Then, the following week at the China Open, Kvitová carried on her good form by reaching her fourth final of the year but lost to Sharapova in three sets.^[94]

At the WTA Finals, Kvitová was upset by Agnieszka Radwańska in her opening match in straight sets. She then recorded a straight-set victory over Sharapova, ending a five-match losing streak against her, but then lost her bid to qualify for the semifinals when she succumbed to Caroline Wozniacki in her last round robin match.^[95] Nevertheless, Kvitová ended the year as world No. 4. At the Fed Cup where Czech Republic faced Germany for the title, she prevailed over Andrea Petkovic in straight sets and Angelique Kerber in a thrilling three-setter. In the end, Czech Republic clinched its third Fed Cup title in four years by winning the final 3–1.^[96] Kvitová received two awards in 2014, the Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award and the Diamond Aces Award.^[97][98]

2015: Mixed fortunes and coping with mononucleosis

Kvitová kicked off 2015 in Shenzhen as the second seed, where she lost to eighth seed Timea Bacsinszky in the semifinals.^[99] Kvitová was the second seed in Sydney and received a first round bye. She defeated Peng Shuai in the second round and then beat Jarmila Gajdošová in the last eight. In a rematch of their semifinal here a year ago, Kvitová avenged her earlier loss to Tsvetana Pironkova, and then went on to defeat fellow Czech Karolína Plíšková in the final for her first title of the year, the 15th of her career.^[100] At the Australian Open, fourth-seeded Kvitová was upset by Madison Keys in the third round in straight sets.^[101] Kvitová then lost in Dubai and Doha in the third round and quarterfinals respectively, both at the hands of Carla Suárez Navarro.^[102] She subsequently withdrew from Indian Wells and Miami due to exhaustion.^[103]

She launched her comeback after a six-week break at the Fed Cup semifinals, where the Czechs faced France. Kvitová won both her rubbers in straight sets, defeating Kristina Mladenovic and Caroline Garcia. The Czech team subsequently advanced to the final for the fourth time in five years.^[104] She then dropped her opening match in Stuttgart to Madison Brengle.^[105] At the Mutua Madrid Open, Kvitová sailed into the quarterfinals with wins over Olga Govortsova, Coco Vandeweghe and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. She then advanced to the semifinals after dispatching Irina-Camelia Begu in straight sets to set up a clash with world No. 1 Serena Williams. She had not beaten Williams in five previous attempts but upset her in straight sets to advance to her second Madrid final. The win also ended Williams' 27-match winning streak dating back to the WTA Finals the previous year.^[106] In the final, she defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova in a dominating performance to claim her 16th career title.^[107] The following week in Rome, Kvitová cruised into her second quarterfinal of the tournament but there, she lost to Suárez Navarro once again.^[108] At the French Open where she was seeded fourth, she defeated Marina Erakovic, Sílvia Soler Espinosa and 30th seed Begu to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament outside of Wimbledon for the first time since the 2012 US Open. There, she was defeated by 24th seed Bacsinszky in three sets.^[109] Nevertheless, following the tournament's conclusion, Kvitová returned to the world No. 2 ranking for the first time since February 2012.

Kvitová began her grass court season at Wimbledon, after withdrawing from Eastbourne the week before with an illness.^[110] As the defending champion and the second seed, she handily defeated Kiki Bertens in the first round in 35 minutes, losing just one point on serve via a double fault. She then defeated Kurumi Nara in the second round in straight sets to advance to the third round where she faced 28th seed Jelena Janković. There, Kvitová led by a set and a break, but was upset by the former world No. 1 in the end in a tight three-setter, thus ending her journey as the defending champion.^[111]

In August, it was revealed that Kvitová was diagnosed with mononucleosis and that she contracted the virus during spring earlier in the year but nevertheless, was cleared to compete.^[112] During the US Open series, Kvitová lost her openers in Toronto and Cincinnati.^[113][114] Then, as the defending champion at the Connecticut Open, second-seeded Kvitová received a bye in the opening round and safely advanced to the semifinals after defeating Keys and Agnieszka Radwańska. She then rolled past Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets for a place in her fourth straight final at the tournament, where she beat compatriot Lucie Šafářová in three sets for her 17th career title.^[115] With this win, she also successfully defended a title for the first time in her career. At the US Open, Kvitová was the fifth seed and reached the round of 16 after defeating Laura Siegemund, wildcard Nicole Gibbs and 32nd seed Anna Karolína Schmiedlová, all in straight sets. She then advanced to her maiden quarterfinal of the tournament after seeing off qualifier Johanna Konta, thus completing the feat of reaching at least the quarterfinals of all four Grand Slams. There, she fell short to 26th seed and eventual champion Flavia Pennetta in three sets.^[116]

The Asian swing was not a successful one for Kvitová as she lost early in Wuhan and Beijing.^[117][118] Nevertheless, she successfully qualified for the WTA Finals on 14 October.^[119] Seeded fourth, she lost her round robin matches to Angelique Kerber and Garbiñe Muguruza but scored a win over Šafářová. However, she managed to secure a spot in the semifinals where she defeated Maria Sharapova in straight sets to advance to her second final of the tournament. There, she lost to Radwańska three sets.^[120] Kvitová finished the year as world No. 6. She participated in the Fed Cup final, going 1–1 in her singles matches, with the Czechs defending their title in the end by winning the decisive doubles rubber.^[121] That year, Kvitová also won the Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award, for the third year running.^[122]

2016: Olympic bronze medal and Fed Cup quintet

Kvitová at the 2016 French Open

Kvitová had a slow start in 2016 due to gastrointestinal illness,^[123] going 2–4 in main draw matches for the first two months, with the wins coming over Luksika Kumkhum at the Australian Open and Barbora Strýcová in Doha.^[124] A week after the conclusion of the Australian Open, Kvitová and long-time coach David Kotyza split.^[125] In the Fed Cup opening round tie against Romania, she lost all of her singles matches. However, the Czech team ultimately cruised into the semifinals with the score 3–2.^[126] At the BNP Paribas Open where she was seeded eighth, Kvitová won consecutive matches for the first time in almost six months, reaching her first quarterfinal of the year in the process. There, she lost to Agnieszka Radwańska in straight sets.^[127] However, this was followed by an early loss in Miami in the hands of 30th seed Ekaterina Makarova.^[128]

Entering the clay court swing, Kvitová announced Czech doubles specialist František Čermák as her new coach.^[129] Seeded fifth in Stuttgart, she made her first semifinal at the tournament since 2012 but there, she lost to eventual champion Angelique Kerber.^[130] Howevere, she then lost early in Madrid and Rome, the former in which she was the defending champion. As a result, she dropped out of the top 10 for the first time since September 2013, at world No. 12, also her lowest ranking since May 2011.^[131][132] At the French Open, Kvitová was upset by eventual surprise quarterfinalist Shelby Rogers in the third round in three sets, receiving bagels in both sets lost.^[133]

Kvitová suffered a dire grass court season as she failed to produce a winning record on the surface, falling early to Jeļena Ostapenko and Johanna Konta in Birmingham and Eastbourne respectively.^[134] Seeded 10th at Wimbledon, she easily defeated Sorana Cîrstea in the first round but in a rain-interrupted second round encounter against Makarova however, she succumbed to the Russian in a tight straight-set loss.^[135] After Wimbledon, Kvitová exited the top 10 once again, having spent a short stint there throughout the tournament's two-week duration.

Kicking off the US Open series in Montreal, Kvitová made the round of 16 where she lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova in straight sets.^[136] At the Summer Olympics, 11th-seeded Kvitová defeated the likes of Tímea Babos and Caroline Wozniacki, and then avenged her earlier two losses to Makarova to sail into her second consecutive Olympic quarterfinal, where she beat Elina Svitolina in straight sets. She came up short to eventual gold medallist Monica Puig in the semifinals, but then defeated Madison Keys in the bronze medal match to win her first ever Olympic medal.^[137] Thus, she became the first Czech player of either gender to win an Olympic medal in the singles discipline since Jana Novotná in 1996.^[138] Kvitová was the two-time defending champion in New Haven but saw her title defence come to an end in the semifinals in the hands of Radwańska.^[139] As the 14th seed at the US Open, where for the first time since the 2011 Australian Open, Kvitová is not a top 10 seed at a Grand Slam tournament, she reached the round of 16 but lost to eventual champion Kerber in straight sets. The loss meant Kvitová has failed to make a single Grand Slam quarterfinal in a season for the first time since 2009.^[140] After the US Open, Kvitová announced that both she and coach Čermák have gone separate ways.^[141]

Kvitová began the Asian swing with an early loss to Puig in the second round of Tokyo.^[142] At the Wuhan Open, she sailed past Ostapenko and Svitolina in straight sets for a place in the round of 16. There, she scored her fourth win over a reigning world No. 1 when she defeated Kerber in three sets. In the quarterfinals, she beat Konta and then in the last four, she went on to score her first win over Simona Halep to reach her first final of the year. There, she dominated Dominika Cibulková in straight sets for her 18th career title, thus putting an end to a 13-month title drought.^[143] She then reached the quarterfinals of the China Open where she lost to Keys. The loss ended Kvitová's hopes of qualifying for the WTA Finals, having recorded five straight appearances at the event dating back to 2011.^[144] At the BGL Luxembourg Open, top-seeded Kvitová reached the final but lost to Monica Niculescu in straight sets.^[145]

Despite not making the cut for the WTA Finals, Kvitová successfully qualified for the WTA Elite Trophy. As the third seed, she was drawn into the same group as Roberta Vinci and Strýcová, defeating both players in straight sets to advance to the semifinals where she sailed past wildcard Zhang Shuai. In the final, she beat Svitolina in straight sets to win the tournament on debut, thus lifting her 19th career title and her first title indoors since winning the WTA Finals in 2011.^[146] Kvitová ended the season as world No. 11. She then represented her nation in the Fed Cup final where they took on France. Despite losing her only singles rubber against Caroline Garcia, the Czechs went on to successfully defend their title by winning the tie 3–2 to lift their third successive trophy, their fifth in the last six years.^[147] With that achievement, Kvitová claimed the record of most Fed Cup titles won by a Czech player, having been part of the team which took home those five crowns. Moreover, she was awarded the Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award for the fourth year in a row, her fifth overall.^[148]

2017: Comeback from knife attack and out of top 20

Kvitova at the 2017 Birmingham Classic

During the off-season in 2016, going into 2017, Kvitová announced Jiří Vaněk as her new coach.^[149] However, shortly before Christmas, she was robbed at her home in the Czech Republic by a knife-wielding attacker, which resulted in tendon and nerve injuries to her left hand.^[150] She was initially expected to be sidelined for six months,^[151] but following good progress in her recovery, Kvitová announced in late May that she would return to competition at the French Open, a month ahead of schedule.^[152] She kicked off her Paris comeback with a win against American Julia Boserup in the first round.^[153] However, she lost to Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the following round in straight sets.^[154]

Kvitová began the grass court swing at the Aegon Classic Birmingham, where she defeated both Tereza Smitková and Naomi Broady in straight sets to reach her first quarterfinal of 2017, also her first on grass since the 2014 Wimbledon Championships. There, she took down fifth seed Kristina Mladenovic to reach the last four, where she moved past Lucie Šafářová. In the final, she beat Ashleigh Barty in three sets for her milestone 20th career title.^[155] However, she then suffered a second consecutive loss in the second round of Wimbledon, this time to Madison Brengle in three sets.^[156]

During the US Open series, Kvitová posted a quarterfinal appearance in Stanford,^[157] but then lost early in Toronto and Cincinnati, both at the hands of the resurgent Sloane Stephens,^[158][159] before bowing out in the opening round of New Haven to Zhang Shuai.^[160] However, she bounced back at the US Open by beating Jelena Janković, Alizé Cornet and 18th seed Caroline Garcia to reach the fourth round. There, she saw off third seed Garbiñe Muguruza to sail into her tenth Grand Slam tournament quarterfinal where she was stopped by ninth seed Venus Williams in three sets.^[161]

Kvitová kicked off the Asian swing in Wuhan where she was the defending champion and faced local player Peng Shuai at the first hurdle, but came up short in an epic three-set match that lasted three hours and 34 minutes.^[162] The match is the longest of Kvitová's career to date. At the China Open, she moved past fellow Czech Kristýna Plíšková and American Varvara Lepchenko to reach the round of 16 where saw off fifth seed Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets. She then beat Barbora Strýcová to reach the semifinals but there, she was defeated by eventual champion Garcia in straight sets.^[163] The loss meant that for the first time since 2010, Kvitová did not win a Premier Mandatory or Premier 5 title during a season. She then lost in the first round of Tianjin to Zhu Lin in three sets.^[164] As a result of not qualifying for the WTA Elite Trophy where she was the defending champion, Kvitová fell out of the top 20 rankings for the first time since January 2011. She subsequently concluded the year as world No. 29. Nevertheless, Kvitová was awarded the Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award once again, her fifth in succession and sixth in the last seven seasons.^[165]

2018: Five WTA titles and re-entry into top 5

Kvitová started 2018 in Sydney, unseeded at a Premier event for the first time since the 2010 Kremlin Cup, having been forced to withdraw from Brisbane the week before due to a viral illness. She lost to Camila Giorgi in the second round.^[166] She then fell in the opening round of the Australian Open, succumbing to Andrea Petkovic in three sets despite having served for the match twice.^[167] However, she bounced back by winning the St. Petersburg Ladies' Trophy. En route to the final, she saw past the likes of Elena Vesnina, Irina-Camelia Begu, Jeļena Ostapenko and Julia Görges. She then beat Kristina Mladenovic in the final in a dominating performance to win her 21st career title, thus becoming the first left-handed player to win a singles title in Russia.^[168] Kvitová then won her singles matches against Viktorija Golubic and Belinda Bencic in the opening round of the Fed Cup where the Czech Republic took on Switzerland, with the Czechs eventually cruising into the last four with the score 3–1, also their tenth consecutive Fed Cup semifinal appearance. The tie also marked the first time since the 2015 final against Russia where Kvitová won a match at the event.^[169]

Kvitová carried her good form into the Qatar Total Open, defeating Çağla Büyükakçay, Agnieszka Radwańska and Elina Svitolina to reach the quarterfinals. There, she moved past Görges via a retirement and then overcame world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in three sets to move into the final. There, she outlasted fourth seed Garbiñe Muguruza in three sets to capture her 22nd career title, thus guaranteeing her return to the top 10 for the first time since June 2016.^[170] In Indian Wells, ninth-seeded Kvitová scrapped past Kazakh Yulia Putintseva in the opener in three sets to record the equal-longest winning streak of her career, 14 wins, dating back to her title run in St. Petersburg a month before. However, she saw that streak expire when she lost to young American wildcard Amanda Anisimova in the following round in straight sets.^[171] She then beat Aryna Sabalenka and Sofia Kenin to reach the fourth round in Miami where she was beaten by Ostapenko.^[172]

Kvitová started off her clay court season with her maiden appearance in Charleston but lost her opener to fellow Czech Kristýna Plíšková, marking her first loss to a Czech player since May 2012, having amassed a run of 24 consecutive wins against her compatriots during that period.^[173] Then, facing Germany in the Fed Cup semifinals, she notched wins over Görges and Angelique Kerber, thus sending the Czech team into its sixth final in the last eight years.^[174] This was followed by a loss to Kerber in the first round of Stuttgart.^[175] Kvitová then claimed her first title on home soil by winning the Prague Open, dispatching Tereza Smitková, Natalia Vikhlyantseva, Kateřina Siniaková and Zhang Shuai to reach the final, all without the loss of a set. There, she came back from a set down to beat Mihaela Buzărnescu for her 23rd career title, her first at an International-level tournament since Linz in 2011.^[176] The following week in Madrid, 10th-seeded Kvitová breezed through to her second crown in two weeks and the 24th of her career. En route to the final, she defeated Lesia Tsurenko, Monica Puig, Anett Kontaveit, Daria Kasatkina and Karolína Plíšková. She then fought through a tough three-setter to see off Kiki Bertens to lift the trophy for the third time in her career, becoming the first woman to do so.^[177] At the French Open, Kvitová crashed out in the third round, falling to 25th seed Kontaveit in straight sets.^[178]

Starting the grass court season in Birmingham where she was the defending champion, Kvitová saw off the likes of Johanna Konta and Daria Gavrilova to record her fifth quarterfinal appearance of 2018. There, she beat Görges in straight sets for her 50th main draw win on grass. She then moved past Buzarnescu to reach the final where she defeated Magdalena Rybaríková in three sets for her 25th career title, also the second successful title defence of her career after the 2015 Connecticut Open.^[179] She then beat Kateryna Bondarenko in her opener in Eastbourne before withdrawing due to a hamstring injury.^[180] She then bowed out in the first round of Wimbledon on a day filled with upsets, succumbing to Aliaksandra Sasnovich in three sets. It was her first defeat in the opening round of the tournament since 2009, and 2018 also marks the first season since 2009 where she suffered multiple opening-round exits at the Grand Slams.^[181]

Kvitová began the month of August at the Rogers Cup where she was dispatched by Bertens in the third round in straight sets.^[182] The following week in Cincinnati, her form improved, beating Serena Williams, Mladenovic and 15th seed Elise Mertens to sail into her first semifinal of the tournament since 2012, where she was stopped by Bertens once more, this time in three sets.^[183] Nevertheless, Kvitová returned to the top 5 rankings for the first time in almost three years by virtue of that result. She then made the quarterfinals of the Connecticut Open where she retired to Carla Suárez Navarro after dropping the first set due to a shoulder injury.^[184] This was followed by a defeat in the hands of 26th seed Sabalenka in the third round of the US Open. The loss meant that for the first time in her career, Kvitová failed to record an appearance in the second week at the Grand Slams in a season.^[185]

Kvitová then suffered a dismal Asian swing with early exits in Wuhan and Beijing.^[186][187] On 4 October, she became the fourth player to qualify for the WTA Finals, which will be her first appearance at the tournament since 2015.^[188]

Kvitová vs. Wozniacki

Kvitová and Wozniacki have met a total 13 times with Kvitová leading the head-to-head 8–5.^[193] They have played each other at least once a year since 2009.

Their very first meeting came in 2009 in the second round of the Swedish Open with Wozniacki winning comfortably. The following year in the first round of the Mutua Madrid Open, Wozniacki beat Kvitová once again. Two months later, Kvitová scored her first win over the Dane in the round of 16 of the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, winning with the loss of just two games and hitting 23 winners to Wozniacki's four.^[194] At the end of the year, the two met in the third round of the China Open where Wozniacki beat Kvitová comfortably once more and ensured herself the world No. 1 ranking as a result.^[195]

Kvitová then proceeded to win their next three clashes – in the round robin stage of the 2011 WTA Tour Championships, Montreal semifinals in 2012 and Dubai semifinals in 2013. Wozniacki exacted revenge by winning their next two meetings – in the third round of Cincinnati in 2013 and the round robin stage of the 2014 WTA Finals. Since 2014, Kvitová has won their last four meetings, all on hard courts – the New Haven semifinals in 2015, second round of the Rio Olympics in 2016, third round of Beijing in 2017 and most recently, the semifinals of Doha in 2018, where Wozniacki served for the match twice.

Home invasion and robbery

On 20 December 2016, Kvitová was robbed at her apartment in Prostějov, Czech Republic, suffering multiple lacerations to the tendons and nerves on her left hand and fingers while trying to defend herself.^[199] The knife-wielding attacker left with $192 worth of cash and is suspected to be a male in his mid-thirties.^[200] She successfully underwent surgery to repair the damage to her hand, and was expected to sit out the next six months in order to fully recover.^[201] Three days later, in her first press conference since her surgery, Kvitová revealed that she had regained movement in her left hand.^[202]

In early January 2017, it was reported that Kvitová's recovery was going according to plan, and that she had gradually begun doing exercises with her injured fingers. Moreover, her local tennis club offered a reward amounting $3850 for information leading to the whereabouts of her attacker, who still remains at large.^[203] About two weeks later, Kvitová revealed on social media that all stitches on her wounds had been removed.^[204] Later that month, Czech police revealed during an update briefing on the ongoing investigation that Kvitová was slashed as part of a blackmail plot.^[205]

By March 2017, Kvitová had regained the use of her left hand, and could now use it for daily activities without any complications. Her psychological recovery is also on track, and she had completed fitness training in the Canary Islands.^[206] The following month, following good progress in her recovery, she provisionally put her name down for the French Open.^[207] In early May, more than four months into recovery, it was revealed that Kvitová had returned to the practice courts.^[208]

On 23 May 2017, Kvitová announced that she would play the Wimbledon Championships the following month, and would make a last-minute decision, later in the week, on whether to compete at the French Open.^[209][210] Kvitová subsequently confirmed her participation at the latter event, thus marking her return to competition where she defeated American Julia Boserup in her opening match.^[211][212]

Almost a year after the attack, on 16 November 2017, Czech police announced that they have shelved investigations on the attack since they have yet to identify the attacker.^[213] Then, in May 2018, it was revealed that a suspect has been taken into custody.^[214] More than five months later, a Czech state prosecutor revealed that a unnamed 33-year old man has been charged with assault over a knife attack on a woman in Prostějov on 20 December 2016, where the date and location match those of Kvitová's attack.^[215]

Grand Slam tournament finals

Singles: 2 (2 titles)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	2011	Wimbledon	Grass	Maria Sharapova	6–3, 6–4
Win	2014	Wimbledon (2)	Grass	Eugenie Bouchard	6–3, 6–0

Year-End Championships finals

Singles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)

Result	Year	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	2011	WTA Finals, Istanbul	Hard (i)	Victoria Azarenka	7–5, 4–6, 6–3
Loss	2015	WTA Finals, Singapore	Hard (i)	Agnieszka Radwańska	2–6, 6–4, 3–6

Singles

Doubles