Kvitova would be ‘lucky’ to defend Wimbledon title

 

Originally published on 19/06/15

It has been a frustrating season for the world No.2, who has endured mixed results and took time out from the game after feeling ‘empty’.

She won her first title of the year in Sydney before a surprise defeat to Madison Keys in the Australian Open third round, and after back-to-back defeats to Carla Suarez Navarro in Dubai and Doha, withdrew from Indian Wells and Miami on the advice of her coach David Kotyza. She went to the beach, slept a lot and didn't touch a racket for a month. 

“I was really empty,” Kvitova told CNN Open Court. “I had a great run in the beginning of the season but not really in Melbourne which was disappointing for me. I felt so tired, exhausted from everything especially playing tennis – that’s not really a nice feeling because I always like to play tennis."

The Czech returned to action in April, and after leading the Czech Fed Cup team into a fourth final in five years, picked up the 16th title of her career at the Mutua Madrid Open, handing world No.1 Serena Williams her first (and to date) only defeat of the season in the semi-finals.

After a fourth round defeat to unlikely semi-finalist Timea Bacsinszky at the French Open, Kvitova is now preparing to defend her second Championships title. The left-hander struggled with the pressure of being a Grand Slam champion in the wake of her 2011 victory, but despite erratic results elsewhere, the All England Club has been one of her most successful tournaments, reaching the last eight or better every year since 2010.

She said: “I think it's very positive that you're defending something, I should take it like this, I'll try not to put so much pressure on me, I don't think I'll be able to do it so easy, that's how it is but as I said I should be lucky that I'll defend the title.”

Now get the WORLD’S BEST TENNIS MAGAZINE here