Petra Kvitova's rebirth: “I will never forget what happened and how it changed me”

Petra Kvitova remains in the tennis elite after turning the page after the robbery she suffered at her home in December 2016, when she was injured with a knife in her left hand. Despite the seriousness of the incident, Kvitova affirms that she has learned a lot from that episode, as she has related in an interview with Olympic Channel.

The Czech tennis player confessed that she tries to be happy when playing every game. “Sometimes I'm too hard on myself. I try to tell myself 'Be happy when you're playing tonight.' Now I see it that way. And of course I want more., I don't want to lose, and that's what I'm fighting for. I'm happy for it and for what my parents instilled in me “

Kvitova acknowledges that the path back to the elite has not been easy and that she came to fear for her life after the assault she suffered. “To be honest, I didn't know what would happen to my life. The first thing was to fight to survive, to stay alive. I will never forget what happened and how it changed me. He told me 'I don't want to change', but somehow I had to. They are experiences of life. I need to deal with the pressure, with everything around me and find a balance. It's been a long road, but I'm happy. “

After this terrible experience, Kvitova faces each day with optimism and with the enthusiasm and passion to continue to shine on a tennis court.s. “Every day when the sun rises it's like 'Oh, it's wonderful.' with the stands applauding you and that atmosphere. Is incredible. After the attack, I struggled to play tennis again. I knew that being in a Grand Slam final or the semi-finals at Roland Garros would mean a lot to me.

The operation on her hand was not easy for Kvitova, who confessed to the doctor's help in hiding some information from her so as not to discourage her on her return. “I had to be very careful with my hand. The operation was quite long. That's what I heard afterwards. There was a small percentage, 5 or 10%, that I would not play tennis again. Fortunately my doctor did not tell me that then, but when I returned to play, so I appreciate it. That helped me to be positive. I had ups and downs with the scars, the finger movements … But regaining motivation and the desire to play tennis again was an even greater challenge. “

The Czech tennis player was also surprised by how her return was as, shortly after returning at Roland Garros in 2017, she lifted the title in Birmingham. “Since then I have a new perspective. It is as if I was facing my second race since my return to Roland Garros in 2017. It was very strange because, in my second tournament in Birmingham, I won the title. It was like 'This can't be real!' It was the first time I felt like 'I'm back!' And I can compete with the best again. At this year's US Open I reached the quarterfinals against Venus Williams. I lost 7-6 in the third set but the tournament was like 'Yes, I can be here again'. It was a great motivation. And I appreciate everything I have done since my return. “

Kvitova also highlighted the importance of the Olympic Games in her career and where she will seek the gold medal in Tokyo next year after achieving bronze in Rio 2016. “For me the Olympic Games are totally different compared to other tournaments. I love them. Since I was a child, whenever I hurt playing team competitions and for my country. That week in Rio I played to win. And when I received the medal of bronze knew how I felt. He was crying because it was something he really wanted: a medal at the Olympics. Also, tennis is a very tough sport where you can have a point or two to win and end up losing. It's what makes it beautiful. “