Petra Kvitova

Petra Kvitova is a Czech tennis player, who burst on to the scene in 2011 with an astonishing march to the Wimbledon title.

Known for her incredible hard-hitting prowess, Kvitova has put together a solid career for herself, with a couple of Grand Slam trophies and several other big titles. She is widely considered to be a player who can defeat any opponent in the world when she's on her game.

Best finish at each of the four Grand Slams:

Australian Open: Semifinalist (2012)

French Open: Semifinalist (2012)

Wimbledon: Champion (2011, 2014)

US Open: Quarterfinalist (2015, 2017)

Highest Ranking: No. 2

Style of play

Kvitova is famous for her no-holds-barred offensive game; she goes for the kill every opportunity she gets.

The Czech uses her lefty serve to set up her groundstrokes, which are hit flat and hard. She also comes to the net to finish points when she has an advantageous court positioning, and can hit volleys and overheads comfortably.

Kvitova stands at or very close to the baseline at all times, and doesn't play a lot of defense.

Strengths and weaknesses

Kvitova has several big weapons in her armory, and is capable of hitting any player off the court - including the likes of Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.

She has a typical lefty serve that spins away from the right-hander's backhand in the ad court, but she can also hit it flat to the forehand. Her serve has been known to win her a lot of free points every match, either through an ace or a one-two punch.

The Czech's groundstrokes are extremely power-packed; she can finish a point with one big strike off either the forehand or backhand. That said, her forehand is clearly her dominant wing, as she can generate tremendous pace and penetration through it.

Kvitova is pretty handy with her net play, and rarely misses easy volleys. She also has a powerful return of serve, which she uses to put her opponents on the backfoot.

Kvitova's movement is her biggest weakness, and she is not the most adept at defending. She can also be a little hit-or-miss with her groundstrokes, coughing up one unforced error too many in her bid to take control of the proceedings.

Personal life

Kvitova was born in Bilovec, but did a bulk of her early training in Fulnek. It was her father Pavla Kvitova who first convinced her to take up tennis, and while growing up Martina Navratilova was her role model.

Kvitova didn't play a lot of junior tennis, and Wimbledon 2007 was the only girls' Grand Slam she participated in. However, she rose up the ranks on the senior tour very quickly, and within 4 years of turning pro she was a Grand Slam champion already - at the age of just 21.

Several inconsistencies followed after that, but the Czech regained her form in 2014 to triumph at the All-England Club for a second time. Then in December 2016, something happened that threatened to end her career permanently.

Kvitova was robbed while she was at her house in Prostejov, but that's not all. She was also attacked physically by the robber, who slashed open her left hand as she attempted to defend herself.

Kvitova's hand - which was her racquet-wielding hand to boot - was severely injured in the attack, and many feared she would never play tennis again. But in a remarkable turn of events, she recovered from the debilitating incident in a matter of months, returning to competition at the 2017 French Open.

The Czech regained her full strength a few months later, and even broke into the top 5 of the WTA rankings a year later. A terrific inspiration for assault survivors all over the world, today Kvitova is one of the most dangerous players in the world again.

Social media presence:

Petra Kvitova Instagram: @petra.kvitova

Petra Kvitova Twitter: @Petra_Kvitova