© Getty Images Sport – Sarah Stier
Petra Kvitova’s representatives have denied rumors that the Czech tennis star is pregnant but also hinted that the two-time Grand Slam champion is likely to miss the Australian Open due to an ongoing back injury. This month, there were rumors claiming that 33-year-old Kvitova might be pregnant.
According to Czech paper iSport, that’s not true but the former world No 2 is currently out of practice and doing only gym work. Kvitova, ranked at No 14 in the world, played her last tournament of the 2023 season in Beijing in early October, where she was beaten by Liudmila Samsonova in the second round.
In Beijing, Kvitova contracted a back injury and she has been out of practice since. “Petra’s preparation for the season is complicated by a persistent back injury. She will only decide how it will be with the Australian Open,” Kvitova’s spokesperson Karel Tejkal said in a statement to iSport.
Kvitova wasn’t happy after her Beijing exit
After sealing late her Beijing first-round win over Xinyu Wang, Kvitova returned to the court the next day and had another late finish. But this time, Kvitova suffered a 6-4 7-5 loss to Samsonova.
After the match, Kvitova criticized the WTA on social media. “Far from ideal to finish my match at the @ChinaOpen at 1 am and then be back on the schedule at NB 5:30 pm the next day when some first round matches had yet to be played.
I have always played the sport with huge respect and rarely speak out, but this time I feel strongly enough to say that there *has* to have been a fairer option. Please do better for your players @WTA,” Kvitova wrote on X after her Beijing campaign came to an end.
Since Kvitova is still dealing with a back injury and unable to practice just 10 days before the start of the season, it is hard to expect the 33-year-old Czech being ready for the Australian Open.
