By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday October 10, 2021
Now that she’s 31 years of age, two-time Grand Slam champion Petra Kvitova knows of the value of playing with completely recharged batteries. The Energizers can become a little zapped after 10 months of slogging around the globe, especially during a pandemic and that’s why the Czech is happy to call it a season early in 2021 – she needs time to rest, recover and rekindle her desire to be on tour again before the 2022 season begins.
After falling to Victoria Azarenka, 7-5, 6-4, on Sunday Kvitova confirmed that she would be calling it a season, effective immediately.
“I'm pretty glad it's end to be honest,” she told reporters. “It was really exhausting year. Since COVID started, it's pretty exhausting I think for everybody.”
Kvitova, who finished the campaign with a 29-17 record and her 28th career title (Doha), says her body will need some time to be right again after a long grind. It's a rite of passage for veteran players on tour. As they become older the recognize the need to create balance in their life. Serena Williams has mastered the art from a young age, and it never stopped her from peaking at the right times.
Perhaps it will do the same trick for Kvitova next season.
“My body is just not really handling perfectly,” she said. “That's why I'm ending right now, to take some extra weeks to recover my body, to heal everything what is there.”
The Czech admits that 2021 wasn’t her best season (she went 4-4 at the Slams and didn’t get past the third round), but says her overall performance hasn’t quelled her desire to compete on the tour.
“I definitely had better seasons than this one,” she said. “I had a title, which is always the highlight of the season. I played some incredible matches, I would say. I still have the fire inside me, which is very important for me as well, even in this age. I mean, without the fire I think I couldn't play anymore, but it's there so that's nice.”