Petra Kvitová facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Petra Kvitová

Kvitová with the winner's trophy after defending her title at the 2018 Birmingham Classic
Country (sports)	Czech Republic
Residence	Monte Carlo, Monaco
Born	(1990-03-08) 8 March 1990 (age 35) Bílovec, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic)
Height	1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Turned pro	2006
Plays	Left-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach	David Kotyza (2008–2016) František Čermák (2016) Jiří Vaněk (2016–present)
Prize money	US$ 37,252,032 6th in all-time rankings
Official website	petrakvitova.net
Singles
Career record	633–288 (68.73%)
Career titles	31
Highest ranking	No. 2 (31 October 2011)
Current ranking	-->
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	F (2019)
French Open	SF (2012, 2020)
Wimbledon	W (2011, 2014)
US Open	QF (2015, 2017)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	W (2011)
Olympic Games	Bronze (2016)
Doubles
Career record	13–35 (27.08%)
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 196 (28 February 2011)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	2R (2011)
French Open	2R (2010)
Wimbledon	1R (2008, 2010, 2011)
US Open	1R (2008, 2009, 2010)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	W (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018) Record 30–11
Hopman Cup	W (2012)
Medal record Women's tennis Representing  Czech Republic Olympic Games Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro Singles

Petra Kvitová (born March 8, 1990) is a famous Czech professional tennis player. She is known for her strong left-handed shots and winning many matches. Petra has won 31 singles titles in her career.

Her biggest wins include two major titles at Wimbledon. She won in 2011 and again in 2014. She also won a bronze medal for the Czech Republic at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Petra reached her highest ranking of world No. 2 on October 31, 2011.

Petra first became well-known when she beat the world No. 1 player, Dinara Safina, at the 2009 US Open. She then reached her first major semifinal at Wimbledon in 2010. In 2011, she had a fantastic year. She won her first major title at Wimbledon, beating Maria Sharapova. She was the first player born in the 1990s to win a major tennis tournament.

At the end of 2011, Petra also won the WTA Championships. She helped the Czech Republic win the Fed Cup that same year. This was the first time the Czech Republic won this title as an independent country.

About Petra's Early Life

Petra Kvitová was born in Bílovec, which is now part of the Czech Republic. Her father, Jiří Kvita, was a mayor and a teacher. He was the one who first taught her how to play tennis.

When she was a child, Petra looked up to Czech American tennis player Martina Navratilova. Petra trained in her hometown of Fulnek until she was 16 years old. An instructor then encouraged her to become a professional tennis player.

Petra's Tennis Journey

Starting Her Career (2006–2010)

As a junior player, Petra Kvitová was ranked as high as world No. 27. She played in the 2007 Wimbledon Championships as a junior. Petra started playing in WTA tournaments in 2007. She won six smaller ITF singles titles in 2006 and 2007.

In 2008, Petra got her first big WTA win in Paris. She also beat world No. 8 Venus Williams in Memphis. This was her first win against a top-10 player. She made it to the last 16 at the 2008 French Open, which was her first Grand Slam tournament. By the end of 2008, she was ranked world No. 44.

In 2009, Petra reached her first final at the Hobart International. She won the title, which was her first career win. At the US Open, she famously beat the world No. 1 player, Dinara Safina. Petra finished 2009 ranked world No. 62.

In 2010, Petra reached the semifinals of Wimbledon. This helped her enter the top 30 rankings for the first time. She was also named the WTA Newcomer of the Year.

Winning Grand Slams and Big Titles (2011–2014)

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

Petra had an amazing year in 2011. She won her second career title at the Brisbane International. She then won the Open GdF Suez, beating the new world No. 1, Kim Clijsters. Petra also won her first Premier Mandatory title in Madrid. After this, she entered the top 10 rankings.

Her biggest achievement in 2011 was winning her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. She beat Maria Sharapova in the final. This made her the first left-handed woman to win Wimbledon since 1990. She was also the first player born in the 1990s to win a Grand Slam.

Later in 2011, Petra won her fifth title of the season at the Linz Open. She then won the Tour Championships in Istanbul on her first try. She helped the Czech Republic win their first Fed Cup title as an independent nation. Petra was named WTA Player of the Year and ITF World Champion for 2011.

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

In 2012, Petra continued her success. She won the Hopman Cup with Tomáš Berdych. She reached the semifinals of the Australian Open and French Open. Petra won two more titles in North America: the Canadian Open and the New Haven Open. She also helped the Czech team defend their Fed Cup title.

In 2013, Petra won her 10th career title in Dubai. She also won the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. She finished the year ranked world No. 6.

Kvitová at the 2014 Wimbledon Championships, where she claimed her second Grand Slam title

Petra started 2014 by playing the Hopman Cup. She then had a great run at Wimbledon. She won her second Grand Slam title there, beating Eugenie Bouchard in the final. This win brought her back into the top 5 rankings.

After Wimbledon, she won her 13th career title at the Connecticut Open. She also won the first-ever Wuhan Open title, which was her 14th career title. Petra helped the Czech Republic win their third Fed Cup title in four years.

Dealing with Challenges (2015–2017)

In 2015, Petra won her 15th career title at the Sydney International. She then won her 16th title at the Madrid Open, beating world No. 1 Serena Williams. This win ended Williams' 27-match winning streak. Petra also defended a title for the first time in her career at the Connecticut Open. At the US Open, she reached the quarterfinals, meaning she had reached at least the quarterfinals of all four Grand Slams in her career. The Czechs defended their Fed Cup title that year.

In 2016, Petra had a slower start due to illness. She won an Olympic bronze medal at the Rio Olympics. This was her first Olympic medal. She then won the Wuhan Open, her 18th career title. Petra also won the WTA Elite Trophy on her first try. She helped her nation win their fifth Fed Cup title in six years.

Kvitová at the 2016 French Open

In December 2016, Petra was attacked at her home. She suffered serious injuries to her left hand, which is her playing hand. She had surgery and was expected to be out for six months. However, she made an amazing comeback at the French Open in May 2017, earlier than expected.

She then won her 20th career title at the Birmingham Classic. At the US Open, she reached the quarterfinals, beating third seed Garbiñe Muguruza.

More Titles and Top Rankings (2018–2020)

Kvitová at the 2018 Birmingham Classic

Petra started 2018 by winning the St. Petersburg Ladies' Trophy, her 21st career title. She then won the Qatar Open, which brought her back into the top 10 rankings. She won her first title on home soil at the Prague Open. She also won her third title in Madrid, becoming the first woman to do so.

Petra continued her winning streak by defending her title at the Birmingham Classic. This was her 25th career title. The Czech Republic won their sixth Fed Cup title in eight seasons. Petra finished 2018 ranked world No. 7.

Kvitová at the 2019 Sydney International

In 2019, Petra won her second title in Sydney. At the Australian Open, she reached her first Grand Slam final since 2014. She played against Naomi Osaka for the world No. 1 ranking but lost in a close match. After this tournament, Petra returned to the world No. 2 ranking.

She won her 27th career title at the Stuttgart Open. Petra had to withdraw from the French Open due to an arm injury. She finished 2019 ranked world No. 7.

In 2020, Petra reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. She also made it to the final of the Qatar Open. Petra reached the semifinals of the French Open, which brought her back into the top 10 rankings. She finished 2020 ranked world No. 8.

Recent Years (2021–2023)

In 2021, Petra won her 28th career title at the Doha Open. This meant she had won titles in three different decades. She also reached the semifinals of the Bad Homburg Open. Petra represented her country at the Summer Olympics as a flag bearer. She finished 2021 ranked world No. 17.

Kvitová at the 2022 French Open

In 2022, Petra won her 29th career title at the Eastbourne International. This was her fifth title on grass courts. She also reached the final of the Cincinnati Open. At the US Open, she earned her 600th career win. Petra finished 2022 ranked world No. 16.

In 2023, Petra started the year strong at the United Cup. She then won her 30th career title at the Miami Open. This was her biggest title in five years and brought her back into the top 10 rankings. She also won her 31st career title at the German Open. Petra finished 2023 ranked world No. 14.

How Petra Plays Tennis

Kvitová's service motion

Kvitová hitting a forehand

Petra Kvitová is a left-handed player. She is known for her powerful and accurate serves. She often serves wide to her opponent's backhand side. Then she moves forward to hit a winning shot.

Petra hits her forehands early, which helps her hit winners down the line. Her backhands are also very strong. When she returns serves, she uses a quick motion to hit the ball hard. She is good at attacking weak second serves. Petra also has many different shots in her game. She is good at volleys, especially on her forehand side. She can also hit low slice shots, especially on her backhand.

Kvitová hitting a backhand

Because she plays very aggressively, Petra sometimes makes mistakes. Moving around the court used to be a weakness for her. However, she has improved a lot in this area. Petra sometimes struggles against players who play defensively. These players keep the ball in play for a long time. This can make Petra feel like she has to hit a winner, which can lead to more mistakes.

When Petra plays her best, she is very dangerous. For example, in the 2015 Madrid Open final, she hit 33 winning shots in a short match. In the 2014 Wimbledon final, she hit 28 winners with few mistakes.

Petra's Rivalries

Petra has had exciting matches against many top players.

• Kvitová vs. Kerber: She has played Angelique Kerber 16 times, with both winning 8 matches. Their longest match lasted over three and a half hours.
• Kvitová vs. Wozniacki: Petra leads her matches against Caroline Wozniacki 8-7. They played each other every year for a long time.
• Kvitová vs. Radwańska: Petra leads her matches against Agnieszka Radwańska 8-5. They had many important matches, including in finals.
• Kvitová vs. Sharapova: Petra has played Maria Sharapova 11 times, with Sharapova leading 7-4. Petra beat Sharapova in her first Wimbledon final.
• Kvitová vs. Barty: She has played Ashleigh Barty 10 times, with the score tied at 5-5. Their matches were often described as the best rivalry in tennis at the time.
• Kvitová vs. Venus Williams: Petra leads her matches against Venus Williams 5-3. Most of their matches were very close, going to a deciding set.
• Kvitová vs. Li Na: Petra has played Li Na 7 times, with Li Na leading 4-3. All their matches happened between 2011 and 2013.

Petra's Life Outside Tennis

Petra Kvitová has been in relationships with other Czech tennis players. In 2014, she started dating Czech hockey player Radek Meidl. They got engaged in 2015 but later split up in 2016.

In 2021, it was reported that Petra was dating her coach, Jiří Vaněk. They got engaged in July 2022 and got married a year later. On January 1, 2024, Petra announced she was pregnant. On July 7, 2024, she gave birth to their son, Petr.

Home Attack and Recovery

On December 20, 2016, Petra was robbed at her home in the Czech Republic. She was hurt on her left hand, which is her dominant hand for playing tennis. She had surgery to fix the damage to her tendons and nerves. Doctors thought she would be out of tennis for six months.

However, Petra recovered faster than expected. By March 2017, she could use her hand fully again. She returned to play at the French Open in May 2017, which was a month earlier than planned. She won her first match back.

In 2018, a suspect was arrested for the attack. The man was charged and later sentenced to eight years in jail in 2019. In 2020, his sentence was increased to 11 years.

Sponsors and Awards

Petra Kvitová is sponsored by well-known brands like Nike for her clothes and shoes. She uses a Wilson tennis racquet. She is also represented by IMG. Other companies like UniCredit Bank and Česká pošta (a Czech postal service) also sponsor her.

Petra is a Global Athlete Ambassador for Right To Play. This organization uses sports to help children facing difficulties. She has also partnered with watchmaker Ritmo Mundo, jewelry maker ALO Diamonds, and TAG Heuer. She is also an ambassador for the skincare brand L'Occitane en Provence.

In 2015, Forbes magazine named Petra the world's sixth highest-paid female athlete. She was the fifth highest-paid tennis player.

Images for kids

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  Kvitová at the 2013 Southern California Open

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  Kvitová at the 2021 Bad Homburg Open

See also

In Spanish: Petra Kvitová para niños