This time last year, Barbora Krejcikova was riding a wave of momentum with her maiden Wimbledon title, but 2025 has been an unfortunate tumble, with pain and injury halting her stride. The Czech star arrived at the WTA 1000 China Open, eager for redemption after a second-round exit in her only prior appearance in 2023. With solid opening wins over Russians Anna Blinkova and Ekaterina Alexandrova, it seemed like the comeback train had left the station.

But fate had other plans. In her third-round clash with McCartney Kessler, Krejcikova was forced to retire with a knee injury, and her doubles match alongside partner Kateřina Siniaková was also scratched. Soon after, the two-time Slam champion shared an emotional message on Instagram and X, with a caption that read, “Sometimes life throws unexpected challenges our way… Grateful for the love, support, and every moment along this journey ❤️ Looking forward to coming back stronger. 🫶🏻 Love you all, Bara.”

In her message to fans, Barbora Krejcikova admitted the disappointment clearly, saying “moments like this are never easy.” She explained that she had been looking forward to the Asian swing both on and off the court, but her campaign ended much earlier than expected. Krejcikova revealed that while she tried to push through the pain, it quickly became evident that the injury was more serious than she first thought. “I don’t yet know how long recovery will take,” the Czech star admitted, leaving the timeline of her return uncertain.

The two-time Slam champion also shared her next steps, confirming that she will head back to Europe to consult her medical team and focus on recovery “step by step.” Although her season didn’t unfold as planned, Barbora Krejcikova made sure to highlight the positives from her time in Asia.

She expressed her gratitude to fans, saying she was thankful for all the encouragement and support she had received throughout her journey. “Every message, every word of encouragement, every cheer – it truly means the world ❤️,” she wrote, acknowledging the boost her supporters gave her even in tough times. Closing her message on a hopeful note, Krejcikova promised she would return stronger. “I can’t wait to come back, play the game I love, and see all of you again soon,” she added, leaving fans reassured that this was just a setback and not the end.

In case you missed, Barbora Krejcikova made a strong start, sweeping through the opening set 6-1 in 37 minutes. In the second, she rallied from 0-2 down by winning four games in a row to seize control, but her American opponent mounted a comeback of her own, taking five of the last six games to claim the set 7-5 and push the match into a decider.

The final set, however, was short-lived. Kessler raced through all three games as Krejcikova, hampered by a knee issue from the very first game (where she even needed a medical timeout) could no longer keep up. Ultimately, the pain proved too much, and she was forced to retire, abruptly bringing her China Open campaign to an end.

Injury strikes again for Barbora Krejcikova

Barbora Krejcikova has had a year to forget, with constant injuries hampering any chances at building form. At the very beginning, she was forced to pull out of the Australian Open with a back injury. In the time it took for her to recover, she missed six 1000 events, along with a big chunk of the clay court season. Though she made her return at the Strasbourg Open, her form remained uneven all the way till the grass court swing.

Her best run this season came at the Eastbourne Open, where she was the only seed to reach the quarterfinals after saving multiple match points against Harriet Dart and Jodie Burrage. But just as her momentum was building, she pulled out before her quarterfinal clash with Varvara Gracheva due to a thigh injury, aiming to stay fit for her Wimbledon title defense. Later, a third-round loss to Emma Navarro at the All England Club added to her troubles, dropping her ranking to world No. 78 as missed events piled up.

However, her fortunes improved on the North American hard courts, where she climbed back to No. 34 with quarterfinal runs at the Canadian and Cincinnati Opens, followed by an impressive US Open showing that ended in the last eight against Jessica Pegula. Riding that form, Barbora Krejcikova looked set for a strong swing in Asia, until a knee injury forced her out of both singles and doubles at the China Open. The timing couldn’t be worse, with the 29-year-old pushing for a return to the top 32 to secure seeding for the Australian Open.

So now, with 528 points still to defend this year, Krejcikova faces pressure to recover quickly and compete again. Her next target is the Wuhan Open, though she may have to go through qualifying. That said, will she be able to shake off this latest setback in time? Can Barbora Krejcikova fight her way back into the top 30 before Melbourne? What do you think?