Two-time Wimbledon champion announces retirement at 35

A two-time Wimbledon champion has announced her retirement from the sport at the age of 35.

Petra Kvitova, who won the tournament in both 2011 and 2014, only returned to playing February this year after taking a whole year off having given birth to her first child.

She lost in the first round against Jodie Burrage in the ATX Open, before falling at the first hurdle in both the Indian Wells and Miami Open.

Her first win came at the Italian Open, but she withdrew ahead of the second round due to injury, and then lost in the first round of the French Open – and suffered the same fate at Queen’s.

Now, the 35-year-old has revealed she will call it a day on her career – but will first play at Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows, with the US Open to be the final tournament of her career.

She took to social media to break down her reasoning, as she paid thanks to tennis for the career it has given her.

‘Growing up in my hometown of Fulnek and hitting the first tennis balls with my father on the local courts, I never imagined becoming a professional tennis player, being able to travel the world, and playing in the most beautiful stadiums around the world,’ she posted on X. ‘And sure enough, somehow all of that became a reality, and so much more.

‘I’ve been privileged to reach incredible heights over the past 19 years since becoming a professional tennis player. From winning my two Wimbledon Championships, bringing home six Billie Jean King Cup trophies for the Czech Republic, reaching the world #2 ranking and so much more.

‘I have accomplished more than I could have ever imagined and I am so grateful to everything that tennis has given me all these years. It has taught me countless lessons, not only on the court or in the gym, but also in life. I would never be whom I am today without this beautiful sport, and everything it has given me both on and off the court.

‘As will all phases in life, there comes a day that it is time for a new chapter, and that time for me has come now. I therefore wanted to share with you that 2025 is my last season on tour as a professional. I am excited and very much looking forward to soak in the beauty of playing The Championships, Wimbledon one more time, a place that holds the most cherished memories in my career for me. And while I am not entirely sure yet what my hardcourt swing in the US will look like, I am intending to finish my active playing career at the US Open in New York later this summer.

‘While no such decision is ever easy to make, for me this is a happy moment! 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.

‘I could not have asked or wished for anything more – tennis has given me everything I have today, and I will continue to be forever grateful to this beautiful sport that I love. With love, Petra.’

The Czech star reached a career high of No 2 in the world rankings, which first came in 2011 before she reclaimed the spot after finishing second in the 2019 Australian Open.

Kvitova married her coach, Jiri Vanek, in 2023, and had their first child in July 2024.

In 2019, meanwhile, a court in the Czech Republic convicted a man of knifing Kvitova in her home in 2016.

Kvitova was attacked in December 2016 when a man, posing as an electrical meter reader, entered her house and slashed her with a knife.

Testifying in court last month, she revealed: ‘I screamed, there was blood everywhere. I had a knife on my neck from behind.’

The star had career-saving surgery on all five of her fingers on her left hand, and she held a press conference days after, where she appeared with a huge bandage covering her playing hand.