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Petra Kvitova celebrated her first victory after returning from a maternity break at the 2025 Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome, defeating Irina-Camelia Begu 7-5, 6-1. Despite the win, Kvitova expressed mixed feelings, describing the victory as “weird” since she’s never been particularly successful at this tournament.
A Long-Awaited Return to Winning Ways
The win that Kvitova scored in 2025 will, thus, mark the very first occasion she has done so consecutively in Rome in a decade. In fact, the last time she came through in this tournament was back in 2015, when she made it into the quarterfinals of the competition. Yet all in all, Kvitova's comeback to the tennis world after being with child has been painfully hard: She had troublesome back-to-back losses during her first four tournaments, going down at the hands of Jodie Burrage in Austin, Varvara Gracheva in Indian Wells, Sofia Kenin in Miami, and Katie Volynets in Madrid.
Though the first part of the season has been quite a struggle, Kvitova has described 2025 as a year of joy and gratitude since the birth of her son, Petr, in July 2024. At some point, Kvitova admitted, she almost gave up on trying to come back.
“It’s kind of weird that my first one came here,” Kvitova remarked after her win. “I've never played my best tennis here. But it feels much better than losing, that's for sure.”
The Struggles and Surprises of a Comeback
"I was 95% that I would never come back," Kvitova revealed, recalling her feelings after her last tournament before maternity leave, Beijing in 2023. “I had enough of tennis at that time. I was like, 'I can't do it anymore,' so we decided to try for a baby.”
However, after giving birth, Kvitova found herself eager to return to tennis, especially after experiencing the joy of playing again, something she hadn’t expected. “When I could do something finally after pregnancy, I played some tennis – and it felt so good,” Kvitova explained. “I was laughing. Every shot I hit smoothly, I was like, ‘Wow, it’s still there.’ It’s not in the legs – but in the hands, it’s sometimes very good.”
A Win Fueled by Determination and Joy
Kvitova’s victory over Begu showcased her enduring shot-making ability, including a stunning backhand down the line, struck after a desperate scrambling lob.
Despite not being in peak physical condition, Kvitova displayed signs of improvement in her game. "I'm not as fit as I wanted to be, for sure," she admitted, “but even in practices my game was going up.”
The Challenges of a Professional Player’s Life
Although Kvitova is still enjoying the thrill of competition, she acknowledged the grind of professional tennis. "You have to train every day, you have to fight, you have to travel," she said, her tone turning more somber. "That’s all the things that are not my favorites... Practicing and gym and recovery stuff. I was like, 'Oh my god, really, this again?'"
Finding Balance with Family
The demands of being on the road have changed for Kvitova, especially now that her son Petr is starting to crawl. Hotel rooms have become less ideal, so Kvitova and her husband, coach Jiri Vanek, prefer to rent apartments where Petr has space to play, creating a more home-like environment.
For Kvitova, though, the joy of playing still outweighs the difficulties of the professional tennis circuit. "However long I'm going to enjoy it," she said, refusing to place any pressure or expectations on her return.
Next Challenge: Ons Jabeur
Kvitova’s next challenge comes in the second round, where she will face No. 27 seed Ons Jabeur. Kvitova leads their head-to-head 4-2, but this will be their first meeting on clay.
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