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From winning a ninth career WTA 1000 title in Miami to tying the knot with long-time coach Jiri Vanek, Petra Kvitova has had a whirlwind 2023.
The two-time Wimbledon champion, who has decided to call it a season in the first week of October itself, can finally start looking ahead for some time away from the tennis court to help her relax and recover.
The Czech crashed out of the China Open, going down in two sets against eventual finalist Liudmila Sasmonova in the second round. Days after the loss, she took to social media to announce her decision about ending the season early.
Kvitova attached a few pictures — including those from her title runs in Miami and Berlin — in a post shared across her social media handles. She said the year brought plenty of highs for her both on- and off-court.
Tha Czech also took the opportunity to thank her fans who continued to support her throughout 2023, adding that she was finally looking ahead to relaxing a little away from the pressure of competiting day in and day out.
"Saying farewell to the 2023 season. Plenty of highs for me this year both on and (especially) off the court. Feeling ready for some rest and relaxation with my loved ones - thank you for your support as always," Petra Kvitova wrote on social media.
Notably, Kvitova had earlier in July gotten married to her coach and long-time boyfriend Jiri Vanek a year after getting engaged to him at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.
The couple tied the knot at a private ceremony hosted at a luxury resort just outside Prague. It was attended by some of the couple's closest aquaintances, including Kvitova's close friend Barbora Strycova, who lifted the 2023 Wimbledon women's doubles crown.
A quick recap of Petra Kvitova's 2023 season
Petra Kvitova opened her season with a couple of wins over Jessica Pegula and Laura Seigemund at the United Cup.
The Czech, however, went out of kilter in the next couple of months only to stage a return to the big stage at Sunshine Double. Ranked outside the top 10, she strung together a solid couple of tournaments where she reached the quarterfinals at Indian Wells and lifted the trophy in Miami — beating Elena Rybakina in the final.
Injury concerns ruled her out for most of the claycourt season, but Kvitova returned strong with her second title of the year in Berlin. Continuing her solid run on grass, she returned to Wimbledon after a few years of extended absence.
The Czech has since battled poor health and scheduling woes, failing to make it past the quarterfinals stage at any of her other tournaments. She will now be eyeing a strong return at the Australian Open in January next year.
