2-time Grand Slam winner Petra Kvitova has had a tough start to 2022. After an underwhelming Australian Open, Kvitova’s performances in her next two tournaments have been disappointing as well. She was just eliminated from the quarter-finals at the Dubai Tennis Championships by Jelena Ostapenko, after a tough match. 

After the match, the Czech player talked about her wrist injury, which hampered her start to 2022. Kvitova revealed that she was suffering from this injury before the Australian Open and it’s still bothering her.

Petra Kvitova talked about playing through her wrist injury

At the Australian Open, Petra Kvitova suffered a shocking loss in the first round. At that time, she was playing through the wrist injury, because it didn’t heal in time. In a recent interview at the Dubai Tennis Championships, Kvitova revealed her struggles with the wrist injury.

“I started to feel it little bit before I was going to Australia. It was my wrist. It wasn’t that bad from the beginning, but after my first match in Adelaide, it got just swollen… It was a bit tough for me mentally, physically, everything. I probably expect something more from me, of course, as always,” Petra said.

“On the other hand, I’m a player who doesn’t have to practice like crazy. Still, if it’s hurting something, I can’t play shots, it’s different story. Yeah, I was pretty upset. But the health is always on the first side and it gets better… I just have to take it slowly and not have the big expectation on me,” Petra further stated. 

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Speaking about not putting big expectations on herself, Petra revealed, “Yeah, it’s very tough… I have to learn something more even in my 31… Of course, whole my career was expectations over there and the pressure was over there… On the other hand, I know I can play my best. It’s really tough to handle it and find a balance of it.”

What’s next for Kvitova?

In St. Petersburg, Kvitova lost in the second round, and in Dubai, the Czech player lost in the quarters. Although she played exceptionally well in Dubai, her injury is clearly hindering her from playing freely. Right now, it’s unclear whether she will continue to play tournaments or take a rest before playing the next tournament.

As the next Grand Slam is in May, she would like to play the event with full fitness. Can she regain her full fitness before French Open? Let us know in the comments.

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