Exhausted Kvitova Surprised Herself by Winning Third Madrid Title

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Exhausted Kvitova Surprised Herself by Winning Third Madrid Title

Listening to Petra Kvitova give an interview to WTA Insider Courtney Nguyen on Saturday gave pretty great insight into just how deep the Czech had to dig to finish a remarkable two-week stretch on a winning note at the Caja Magica.

Listen: Kvitova Talks Title, Toughness with WTA

“I’m pretty exhausted, my body is falling apart a little bit, so I’m happy to be still walking,” she said after edging Kiki Bertens, 7-6(4), 4-6, 6-3, adding: “It was a great final today—I left everything out there.”

Kvitova may be known for her ability to take the racquet out of her opponent’s hands on her preferred grass surface, but that was not even close to the way she had to handle an extraordinary clay-courter like Bertens in the final. No, Kvitova had to grind out the win, using depth of shot, consistency, tactics and a whole bunch of fighting spirit to get through.

So much fight that even Kvitova herself was surprised she won a record third Madrid title.

“I’m pretty surprised still that I was able to find the energy to play well,” Kvitova said. “I had to play well—it was long rallies, those matches on clay are painful—Kiki loves playing on clay so I knew it would be very difficult but I didn’t know it would be that difficult.”

Champions Corner: Are we seeing the best @Petra_Kvitova in 2018?

“I couldn't imagine myself playing tennis again, and now I have 5 titles since coming back. It's a dream. I think it's not real."

Listen: https://t.co/WaOUKkmERt pic.twitter.com/GqEZGfYyxW
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) May 13, 2018

Kvitova’s explanation of the victory give fans an idea of just how much it took for Kvitova to win back-to-back titles and all straight matches on the red clay over the last two weeks. It’s easy to see the Czech southpaw as a freak-of-nature athlete that relies on natural ability, but a commonly overlooked element of Kvitova the tennis player is her extreme willingness to push herself to the extreme for a victory.

Kvitova wore a pained expression on her face for much of her three-set, two-hour and 52 minute victory over Bertens on Saturday and that was not simply because her opponent was testing her. It was because she had hit a wall and was trying to push through while the light was still at the other side of the tunnel.

“I told myself that I need to fight otherwise I cannot win,” she told Nguyen. “That’s what I knew, that I need to be there, playing every shot for 100 percent, to make her run a little bit as well, not make easy misses—so that’s what I was telling myself.”

Hard to believe, but she made it. Unfortunately, she’s too tired and instantly announced that she’d be skipping next week’s Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome—but nevertheless, she made it.

Kvitova says she’s out of Rome cause exhausted. Logical.
— Carole Bouchard (@carole_bouchard) May 12, 2018

Make that five tournaments in less than a year since she returned to tennis, and 24-7 lifetime in WTA finals all-time, which gives her an incredible .774 winning percentage in title matches.

“Actually it’s unbelievable that I won five tournaments [since returning from a well-documented knife attack that left her life—and hand—temporarily in tatters], for me this one is much more special, I couldn’t really imagine myself playing tennis again and so far I have like five titles after coming back… it’s like kind of a dream, I think it’s not real.”

Fans are impressed. Peers are impressed. So is her coach, Jiri Vanek.

“She’s just amazing, she’s a great fighter,” Vanek. “The way how she has come back it’s just amazing. Now it’s going to be one year since Roland Garros that she has come back and she has won five tournaments—it’s just incredible.”

Vanek said that the game has always been there, but mentally, at 28 and having gone through more than her share of adversity, it’s the mental edge that is making the difference.

“I think she is now more strong mentally,” he said. “She’s already 28, she knows how to play tennis. Sometimes she was struggling with herself, like maybe not 100 percent believing in herself. … If she believe in her power than she is one of the greatest players on the tour now.” He added: “She is clever in the match when she is believing in herself.”

Next up Kvitova will visit Paris as a player that many will give a shot at the title. The Czech rolled her eyes in press when asked about just that, but don’t let her fool you—she most certainly has a shot.

And even if she doesn’t make it through in Paris, her elevated form could surely translate into another banner Wimbledon for the two-time champ.

Either way, the message is clear. Kvitova is a year into her comeback from an almost unthinkable incident in her life. She has become a beacon of positivity and a figure of inspiration to the tennis community whether she wins or loses. It just so happens that she’s winning, and playing perhaps the best tennis of her life.

It’s a happy story either way. And so is the fact that Kvitova will get a week to rest her aching body before she gets back to the grind. When she does get to Paris there will be expectations, but if she has her way, no pressure.

“I don't want to put any pressure on me in a way,” Kvitova said. “I think there are maybe better players playing on the clay. We'll see what happen over there.”

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