Karolina Pliskova is a fighter in every sense. The World No. 1057, once perched on top of the rankings in 2017, is back at the Australian Open under a protective ranking. After a long, painful recovery from her ankle injury at the 2024 US Open, she’s back making strides. Time away from the court didn’t always give her hope. But now, she’s finding reasons to believe again.

On Tuesday, after her win over Sloane Stephens, Karolína Pliskova finally opened up about the injury that almost derailed her career. It began at the 2024 US Open in her second-round match against Jasmine Paolini. Only minutes in, she landed awkwardly on her left foot and instantly knew something was wrong. For someone who had missed just one Grand Slam main draw since 2013, the sudden pain felt unreal.

“It was very shocking,” Pliskova recalled. “And even more shocking when I got the results that I’d broken all the ligaments and tendons. The infection made things look really bad. To look at it, you would think I was going to lose the leg. Still, I wasn’t even walking after three-four months, so the original timeline became impossible.”

Her planned six-month recovery turned into almost a year. A post-surgery infection slowed everything down and led to a second operation that saved her leg, but it also brought new challenges. Even for the famously upright Pliskova, who often joked about her stiff knees, her ankle lost its flexibility. The pain refused to leave.

As the months dragged on, the Czech star found a new rhythm off the court. She split her time between Prague and Marbella, went fishing with her parents, and launched a Czech tennis podcast with her twin sister, Kristyna, who lives in Madrid. She also poured her energy into her tennis academy, reconnecting with the sport from a different angle.

“The ankle is still very stiff,” she said. “And this will never get better. To be honest, it doesn’t really limit me on the court. I may not move as well, but at least it forces me to play fast!”

And she did just that against the 2017 US Open champion. Her game sparkled, her confidence returned, and her effort brought hope back to her Australian Open dream.

Karolina Pliskova had hoped to compete at Melbourne Park

In her first major match since the 2024 US Open, the Czech star took on one of her longtime rivals, Sloane Stephens, at the Australian Open. The two have a long history, and Stephens had won six of their seven previous meetings. This time, though, Pliskova flipped the script, sealing a 7-6, 6-2 win in just 1 hour and 33 minutes.

“Australia is one of my favorite places to play. I was really sad to miss it last year because of my injury. The year was very long. Unfortunately, I didn’t play much,” she said after the victory, her relief clear in every word.

“I worked very hard to come back. I hoped to be able to play the Australian Open again. I’m here. I won my first round. I couldn’t be happier,” Pliskova told The Tennis Letter.

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Her return was historic in more ways than one. For the first time in 36 years, two players ranked outside the WTA’s top 500 faced each other in a Grand Slam. Pliskova, the 2021 Wimbledon finalist, came in ranked 1057, while 2017 US Open champion Stephens was just below her at 1102.

For Karolina Pliskova, this victory was more than just a comeback. It was her first major match in over a year, and she showed flashes of the powerful, composed game that once took her all the way to world No. 1. After a tense first-set tiebreak, she found her rhythm and took control, commanding the court with that signature Pliskova precision.

Next up, she faces Janice Tjen for a spot in the third round. Could another upset be brewing? Pliskova’s best run here was the 2019 semifinals, where she lost to Naomi Osaka, and if this first match was any indication, the 33-year-old might just have another deep run left in her. What do you think? Is the comeback officially on? Drop your take in the comments below!