Two-Time Wimbledon Champion Kvitova Announces Comeback To Tennis After Maternity Leave
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Tennis fans worldwide have something to look forward to after the two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova revealed when she will return to the WTA Tour.
Kvitova missed the entire 2024 season after becoming pregnant. She gave birth to her son, Petr, in July and was on maternity leave for the rest of the year and during the opening month of 2025.
While becoming a mother for the first time was a wonderful moment, the birth also proved stressful. Kvitova needed an emergency c-section, which required a significant amount of recovery time afterward.
A few months ago, Kvitova was unsure whether she would ever return to tennis after that ordeal, understandably stating that she needed to put her and her family's health before playing professional tennis.
Happily, Kvitova feels comfortable enough to return to tennis. In a video posted on her Instagram page, which can be watched below, the Czech said she would return at the 2025 ATX Open in Austin later this month before competing at the 2025 Indian Wells Open and 2025 Miami Open.
"Hi everyone. I hope you're having a great start to 2025 so far. i'm here to tell you some exciting news. After being away for 15 months after giving birth to my baby boy, Petr, I'm coming back to the tennis circuit. I really miss tennis and really miss competing, so I'm really looking forward to being back."
"I'm planning to play at the end of this month, the tournament in Austin, then in Indian Wells and Miami. I can't wait to see my fans from all over the world and thank you very much for supporting me. it will be a nice journey and I can't wait."
The WTA Tour and tennis as a whole will benefit significantly from Kvitova returning. She possesses one of the most devastating games in the sport, and her powerful hitting is riveting to watch at its best.
Kvitova's return to tennis in a few weeks at the tournament in Austin, which begins on February 24th, continues the increasing trend of WTA players going on maternity leave and coming back afterward.
Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic was away for most of 2024 after giving birth to her first child before making her first appearance since 2023 in the season's closing stages to get match practice before 2025.
Bencic's comeback has been impressive. She reached the fourth round of the 2025 Australian Open, including overcoming Jelena Ostapenko and Naomi Osaka, although Osaka had to retire after the first set with an abdominal injury.
It seemed like the Swiss could cause a significant upset against Coco Gauff and reach a maiden Australian Open quarterfinal, but the world No. 3 showed resilience to battle back from losing the first set to win.
Admittedly, Bencic's younger age of 27 made coming back slightly easier for her. However, she still deserves considerable respect for returning so impressively, and it might inspire Kvitova.
