Five years on from Rio, Petra Kvitova relishes another shot at Olympic glory
Petra Kvitova has blown hot and cold this year. She won a 28th career title in Doha, which was offset by first-round exits at Wimbledon and Prague.
But, unaffected by all the ups and downs, the Czech star has her eyes firmly set on her next goal: securing a medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
Speaking to the local press after her loss to Rebecca Sramkova at the Prague Open, Kvitova said she is excited about playing in Tokyo despite not being at 100% physically.
"I'm in preparation, my body hurts a bit and [the] right leg didn't last. But it was a good match and I'm glad that people stayed until the end," Kvitova said.
“I’m excited, but on the other hand I know it’ll be tough with no spectators. I think I’m more connected when there’s spectators. In this case, it will be a bit difficult, but of course, it’s still the Olympics, so I’m very excited and looking forward to them.”
Considering the Czech's results leading up to the Olympics, not many would give her a shot at capturing a medal. But when it comes to Kvitova, the form book can be thrown out the window.
Many of her most memorable wins have come on the back of a poor run of results. Moreover, her motivation to succeed increases manifold when she dons the Czech jersey.
The 31-year-old also has fond memories of the Olympics, having walked away with a bronze medal in Rio five years ago.
Petra Kvitova, the team player
The Czech Republic is one of the most successful nations in the history of the Billie Jean King Cup, and it's Kvitova's power-packed game that has infused life into quite a few of their title-winning campaigns.
Kvitova holds an incredible 30-10 singles win-loss record at the Billie Jean King Cup and has been at the center of some of the most famous victories in the tournament's history.
The Bilovec-born southpaw first led the Czech team to victory at the 2011 edition of the tournament, beating Maria Kirilenko and Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final. An integral part of the team ever since, Kvitova has been open about her love of playing for the Czech flag:
"You're not just playing for yourself, but for the country, for the people. We are a family. And it's something which I'm proud of."
Kvitova has always raised her game when competing for her country and she will once again hope to do so at the Olympics, where she will lead the Czech challenge.
Petra Kvitova's recent struggles
Considering the strength of the women's field at this year's Olympics, Kvitova will need to fix the issues that have plagued her game if she is to make a deep run in Tokyo.
In a recent interview, the Czech spoke about her serving woes and lack of time on the practice courts following her ankle injury at Roland Garros.
"I know that I didn't train anything and I didn't serve anything. After the injury, I went to the matches right away, when I had to serve fully and the body fought it a bit. In preparation, I have to concentrate on serving training," she said.
Kvitova's serve was once her biggest weapon, but it's proven to be an Achilles Heel of late. This was evident in her loss to Sloane Stephens at Wimbledon.
Put under pressure by the American's solid return, Kvitova's serve faltered and she coughed up a number of double faults at crucial moments. She also did not hit a single ace, a first for her in a grasscourt match.
But while some of her strokes may have deserted her in recent months, her physicality and fighting spirit haven't. Even at the age of 31, she has managed to eke out tough, three-set wins against much younger opponents.
This will fill her with confidence heading to Tokyo.
Can Petra Kvitova produce a repeat of her Rio heroics?
As mentioned before, past results mean little for Kvitova heading into a big tournament. She entered the Rio Olympics on the back of a fairly ordinary season in 2016, but went on to beat quality opponents like Caroline Wozniacki, Elina Svitolina and Madison Keys en route to the bronze medal.
The Czech will head to Tokyo ranked outside the top 10 and could easily fly under the radar. If she can successfully navigate her way past the first couple of rounds, she will fancy her chances of standing on the podium once again.