Petra Kvitova Faces Emma Navarro in Possible Wimbledon Farewell

WIMBLEDON, England — Petra Kvitova begins what may be her final Wimbledon campaign on Tuesday, facing No. 10 seed Emma Navarro in the first round. The two-time champion, who won titles in 2011 and 2014, is returning to the All England Club amid emotional circumstances, as she has announced this will be her last season.

“Happiness, that is the only word I can use to describe being back here,” Kvitova said on the Wimbledon website. She shared that her family will be present during the tournament, making it a particularly poignant event. “My parents are here, my son, my husband, my brother is coming as well, so basically the whole family is going to be together with me for the last time,” she noted.

The 35-year-old left-hander from the Czech Republic accepted a wild card to participate. After becoming a professional, Kvitova dreamed of playing at Wimbledon, but she never imagined winning. “When it happened, it felt very unreal; it still feels surreal for me, even though I won it twice. It feels like it was somebody else,” she reflected.

Navarro comes into the match with a mixed record of 4-3 on grass this season. She reached the quarterfinals in Bad Homburg before her elimination by eventual champion Jessica Pegula. Kvitova, on the other hand, faced a challenging return to play this year, with seven losses in her last eight matches.

Other notable matches in the women’s draw include defending champion Barbora Krejcikova facing Alexandra Eala, and No. 2 seed Coco Gauff against Dayana Yastremska. Gauff, fresh off her recent French Open victory, aims to continue her momentum at the tournament.

The anticipation among fans for Kvitova’s match against Navarro is high as they await what may be a vintage display from the two-time champion. As she steps on the court, Kvitova is determined to give her all, regardless of the outcome.