While a recent bout with Covid-19 didn’t give Petra Kvitova the proper preparation she probably would have liked, the two-time Wimbledon champion did successfully make her farewell to tennis the way she wanted – at the US Open.

After her 6-1, 6-0 defeat to Frenchwoman Diane Parry, Kvitova told reporters after the match she had Covid-19 three weeks ago.

“Yeah, my physicality wasn’t great,” the 35-year-old Czech said. “My lungs are not really working yet, but I hope it will be OK when I’m not practicing now.”

While she did consider not playing in New York after getting the virus, she was determined to fulfill her plan of making the US Open – the last grand slam of the year – the final tournament of her storied career.

Kvitova, who won 31 WTA Tour singles titles, had announced her retir

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