"More for my husband, but okay" - Petra Kvitova in hilarious response to being congratulated on wedding after Cincinnati win
Petra Kvitova overcame a mid-match stumble to win her Cincinnati Open first-round match against Anna Blinkova. The Czech overcame her opponent 7-6(3), 6-0, in just a nudge over an hour and a-half.
The win was Kvitova's second since her recent wedding with coach and boyfriend Jiri Vanek in July. The wedding did find a mention during the on-court interaction, with the interviewer congratulating the southpaw.
In a hilarious response, Kvitova said the congratulatory message should in fact be directed more towards her husband before quickly thanking the interviewer for the wishes.
"Thank you for the congratulations, it's more for my husband, but okay, thank you," Petra Kvitova said.
Shifting focus to tennis, Kvitova said she was playing better tennis in 2023 than she was last year.
The reigning Miami and Berlin champion said it has not been smooth sailing all along as there were times when her body fell apart, but added she was trying her best to stay healthy.
"I don't know, since around January, I've been a little bit playing better than last year," Petra Kvitova said. "The body is sometimes falling apart, sometimes holding up better, so I'm just hoping for the best for my body"
"I try to enjoy the tennis a little bit more" - Petra Kvitova on 2023 surge
On being asked about her being back to climbing spots in the WTA rankings ladder, Petra Kvitova said she was trying to enjoy her tennis more even though the schedule can be really demanding.
The southpaw said while she has the experience of having been on Tour for a year, every day brings a new challenge.
She added that her game was holding up well under pressure for now, and the same has been reflected in the results and the rankings.
"I'm happy, I try to enjoy the tennis a little bit more. You know, it's a lot of travelling, every match is a pressure day, lots of nerves, so not easy to handle," Kvitova said. "All these years and you think I should know how to handle it, but its something new every time and I'm playing well and that's obviously showing in the rankings."
Speaking about her love for Cincinnati, Kvitova said she always felt welcomed by the fans, who come out in large numbers to support the players, even at odd hours.
"I love Cincinnati, I love playing here, the fans are great. They are here supporting us even at 11 am so I'm very happy," the Czech said. "I've not a fan of the roller coaster, but I went ot aqua park once and that was fun."