Before the curtain falls, a look back at Petra Kvitova’s top career moments

For nearly two decades, Petra Kvitova has been a steady presence near the top of women’s tennis, winning often, winning big and rarely drawing attention to herself while doing it. A two-time Wimbledon champion and the winner of 31 titles and more than 600 matches, she also spent 27 weeks ranked No. 2 in the world.

She’s long stood as one of the game’s most respected and formidable competitors. Now, she’s begun the final stretch. After returning to competition this season following a 15-month maternity leave, Kvitova announced her intention to retire at the end of the 2025 season. She will play Wimbledon one final time, and plans to close out her career at the US Open later this summer.

"While no such decision is ever easy to make, for me this is a happy moment!" Kvitova wrote in a statement Thursday. "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.

"Through all these years, I am so incredibly thankful for the unwavering support of my family, my closest friends, my team, and all the incredible fans that have always supported me around the world over all these years.

One Czech lefty legend on another: Navratilova’s tribute to Kvitova

Her comeback began in Austin, Texas back in February, where she was joined by her husband and coach, Jiri Vanek, and their seven-month-old son, Petr.

“I don’t expect anything, basically,” Kvitova said at the time in Austin. “I’m here, that’s already a big deal for me. Sometimes I’m really surprised by myself. Like, why I [came back]. But I think I would have regretted it if I didn’t come back.”

Since returning, Kvitova is 1–6, with her lone win coming in the first round of Rome. She’s traveling selectively and planning her schedule around family. Kvitova has accepted her best tennis may be behind her.

"I could not have asked or wished for anything more," Kvitova wrote. "Tennis has given me everything I have today, and I will continue to be forever grateful to this beautiful sport that I love."

Until then, her focus now is on the grass-court season -- the surface where she first made her name -- and closing out her career in a way that feels right. What she’s already left behind, though, is a quietly dominant and enduring resume. Here are a few of the moments that defined it:

Wimbledon, 2011: The arrival

At just 21 years old, Kvitova won her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, defeating Maria Sharapova 6–3, 6–4 in the final. She became the first player born in the 1990s to win a major. Her ability to take time away from opponents with flat, early strikes set the tone not only for that match, but for the rest of her career.

WTA Finals, 2011: The final word on a career-making season

That same year, Kvitova swept through the WTA Finals in her first appearance, winning all five of her matches, including a straight-sets victory over Victoria Azarenka in the final. It was the clearest statement that her Wimbledon title had not been a one-off, and that she belonged at the top of the sport.

Wimbledon, 2014: A near-flawless encore

Three years after her first Wimbledon title, Kvitova returned to the final and delivered one of the most dominant performances the tournament has seen in a championship match. She defeated Eugenie Bouchard 6–3, 6–0 in just 55 minutes, winning 82% of her first-serve points and losing only seven points on serve in the entire match. It was a display of precision and authority, sharp angles, clean winners and no let-up from the opening game to the last.

Fed Cup dominance: Six titles for Czech Republic

From 2011 to 2018, Kvitova helped lead the Czech Republic to six Fed Cup titles, serving as a dependable anchor in both performance and team culture. She posted a 30–10 singles record across 21 ties, often playing in high-stakes rubbers and setting the tone for one of the most dominant national runs in recent memory.

Madrid Open: A record-setting run on clay

Despite often calling clay her least favorite surface, Kvitova found consistent success in Madrid’s altitude-friendly conditions, winning the title three times -- in 2011, 2015 and 2018. No other woman had won the trophy there more often, until current World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka matched her with a third title earlier this year. In total, Kvitova captured nine career WTA 1000 titles.

Miami Open, 2023: WTA 1000 breakthrough at 33

Kvitova’s 30th career title came at the Miami Open, where she beat Elena Rybakina in a tight high-level final to capture her first WTA 1000 title since 2018. It was a late-career milestone and a reminder that, even in her 30s, she could still hold her own against the game’s best. She added one more title later that summer in Berlin, a straight-sets win over Donna Vekic on grass, bringing her career total to 31.