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ROLAND GARROS

May 26, 2017

Petra Kvitova

Paris, France

THE MODERATOR: Obviously we are delighted that Petra has come today to speak with us. She's happy to talk about her recovery and return to tennis, but we thank you for understanding she can't talk about the attack due to a police investigation. So with that, I will open the floor for questions.

Q. Welcome back. Tell us how it feels to be back and where you feel you're at, obviously, what percentage of what might still be a problem, et cetera?
PETRA KVITOVA: Thank you very much. Actually, it's nice to be here. It's nice to see you all again. I missed you guys (smiling). That's funny, but I did. And I look forward to be on the tournament.

And, no, I knew this day would come. I'm really happy that really here, the dream comes true. I'm here in the draw and I'm playing tennis again, and was a difficult time for me, of course. It wasn't easy, but I'm happy that I work through this and I can play tennis and I can be in the draw.

I know that my hand, it's not perfectly ready. It's still not 100% ready, so we will see how everything goes, but I'm happy that I am able to play again.

Q. We missed you too, Petra. Can you just talk through your recovery timeline? When you first started playing? When you first could hold the racquet? How things progressed? And then the decision that you were ready to enter this tournament. However much detail.
PETRA KVITOVA: We have just 15 minutes, so I'm not sure we can make it (smiling).

Yeah, it was five months, five-and-a-half, I think. It's look like I made it quicker, one month ahead, which is a bit surprise probably for everyone. For me, as well. But I work very hard behind the scenes. I really didn't have time off with matches, as probably everyone thinks.

But yeah, I mean, from the beginning I had this hand in a splint for two months, and even then I was practicing every day, always putting the splint away and trying to make this scar softer. So it doesn't take that much time and I can move with them earlier.

So from the second day after surgery I started to work with that, which was kind of easy, just passive work with the fingers. I couldn't move them.

After two weeks I took off the splint, and I started to rehab actively. So it was just easy, small moves with my fingers. It was not really a big deal. I can't still move them fully. Every kind of small millimeter made me happy. And I was traveling to Grenoble to see the hand specialist, as well. Every month I went there, he gives me always some exercises which I was doing at home with my hands but still was in Czech Republic. We were really working on it.

It's tough to say when I started to play. Ah, I took for first time racquet in March, end of March, and I had hit few forehands with soft balls from the net, and it feels very, very weird (smiling).

I didn't really have touch in the hand for holding the racquet. I'm happy that I didn't have to change any techniques or something. Everything seems okay.

Of course the hand doesn't have that power and the strength yet, but I'm working on it. Hopefully one day will be everything perfect. But we never know still.

I'm happy that when I'm playing I don't have pain in my hand. I didn't test it in a match, of course. Maybe will be different when the nerves comes and I gonna be tight and everything. But so far it's okay.

Then, I mean, I did a lot of fitness. That's what I could do from the beginning. I was most of the time on the bike and I could run when the stitches were out. I started to run and do what I can without the hand. Then everything was just in the small steps; I was holding the ball. I was holding the bottle of water, which is kind of interesting and funny.

But, yeah, that was my beginning. Then I took the racquet and I'm happy that I can hit from the baseline with the normal balls and finally with my new coach.

Q. How hard was it mentally to have the sport that has been your life taken away from you for that time?
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, was difficult. I mean, not many people believe that I can play tennis again. So I'm happy that I can play. I actually already won my biggest fight. I'm happy that I like challenges. That was one of the biggest, of course. So I stayed in life and I have all my fingers, I can play tennis and I can be here and be in the draw.

And I'm really looking forward for my match which, when I watch some of the, I can't say matches, but I saw something on the TV, I didn't really feel great. I felt like the tennis was taken away from me, and it wasn't my decision. Suddenly I couldn't do what I love. So I'm happy that I can be here and enjoy the tennis.

I see life a little bit from the different angle. So I'm happy that I'm here.

Q. What has it been like seeing everyone in the locker room around? Has it been an emotional experience for you?
PETRA KVITOVA: Yeah, it's nice, actually. Everybody is kind of surprised to see me. I'm hearing only good stuff, Good luck, and Welcome back. So it's great to see players that are really happy to have me back.

Actually, I miss them, as well. I mean, of course few people which I was being in touch and it's nice to see them finally here.

Q. You said before that you didn't have to change technique, but do you feel the same? Or what is different when you play tennis than before? Is it hard or a matter of time, or what do you think?
PETRA KVITOVA: As I said, as I first took the racquet, it was, like, No, it's not my racquet or it's not my hand. And every day was improving, and I feel okay when I have racquet. Of course, it's small still differences which I wish will improve, as well.

My doctor, Mr. Kebrle told me it still can take six months to be where I were before, so I hope that it be true. Doesn't matter, six months or two months or whatever. But will be great when I do have everything working properly.

The tennis is a joy now. I mean, really, from the beginning when I hit nice forehand, I was so happy inside, and I was, like, Wow, it's really great that I do have it still. But now I'm kind of practicing normally, if I can say. I'm not practicing that much I worry about inflammation in the fingers or that kind of thing.

It's a matter of time how everything will.

Q. Can you tell us how you are feeling mentally, emotionally now? Not about tennis, but it must have been a terrifying experience, and I wonder, you know, how do you feel now perhaps if you are in your apartment on your own? Do you have nightmares about what happened?
PETRA KVITOVA: Actually, I didn't sleep well the days after, but I wasn't really staying alone. I have been always with my family or with my coaches or with friends, which I need to say thank you to them, because they were really incredible, and they still are. So I'm happy that I have them.

I don't really have nightmares. From the beginning I was really feeling really weird when I went in the city or somewhere. I was always staring to the guys and looking if there are no strangers there. But with the time, it's better. But of course I'm more, how do you say, more actively watching the people around me.

Q. You said that a lot of people didn't think you would be able to play tennis again. So did you have those feelings yourself? When? And how sort of awful was that?
PETRA KVITOVA: As I said, I like the challenges. The doctor said that maybe I will never play again, but there is a chance I can play.

I'm lucky I'm positive-thinking person. So I took the positive one, and I was really trying hard to get my hand back in the proper movement. But, yeah, of course time when the mind was thinking that I would never ever play, it was there, but it was just, you know, few times. Most of the time I try to probably think about something else. Not only about the hand.

So I started to study, for example, university in practicing, and to make my mind a little bit busier that I couldn't play tennis. That's I think help me, as well. I was trying really be busy during the days and really practicing with the hand and doing some fitness.

Yeah, there were some tough times, but as I said, the people around me help me a lot, as well. And actually seeing Dr. Kebrle every week gave me a lot of positive things, as well, because he saw it, and he always say it's working okay, so we need to be patient and everything.

But now, when I am talking with him, he was really tight and very nervous during that three or four months. Finally he's more relaxed now.

Q. You said obviously it has changed the way you look at life and your career. Is it going to change the way you treat your career? Do you feel like it's a second career starting? You want to change things? How do you feel you're going to do it now?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I am very happy I do have my second chance to play tennis, for sure. Of course I had the time in my career when I was really thinking if I do have motivation, if I want to play, if I took the time off 2015 when I didn't play Indian Wells and Miami.

But now was suddenly something happen, and I couldn't play, and I really the tennis is very important in my life. But on the other hand, it's just a sport. So I see it as kind of a little bit different. I mean, sometimes when I don't put a ball inside the court, I'm not crying (smiling). So from that angle, it's much better, but, I mean, it felt really weird I couldn't compete. Actually, I didn't miss the nerves before the match and end of the match and everything, you know, when you are sitting in the locker room waiting for a match and you are really tight and everything.

But I did miss definitely on the court, I did miss the fight. And, yeah, I mean, now I can just enjoy everything and even -- it's beautiful weather outside. Sometimes I just stand outside and see the sun and say, Oh, it's beautiful. I see different kind of things than before.

Q. You mentioned you studied a little bit. What did you study?
PETRA KVITOVA: I'm still studying, actually. I didn't stop. Even I'm in the draw. But I have been studying the media and social communication in Czech Republic. Maybe I will be one of you then some day (smiling).

Q. How did you decide you were ready to come back at this tournament, that Roland Garros was the right time to compete again? What are your expectations for your first match back?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, when everything happened and we had a kind of plan to the future, I was, like, okay, it will be so nice if I can play Wimbledon.

Then when the things were even better, I was, like, Wow, the French Open is one month before. It will be great to play there. But of course, I mean, I never know what will happen, and I still don't know. It's something can happen in the hand, anyway.

But it was a last-minute decision, and I think it's -- I have to start somewhere (smiling). I know it's a Grand Slam, but it's good practice. But, I mean, for me right now, it's not like a Grand Slam. It's something like more. And when I will step on the court will be something really different compared to anything.

I was thinking a lot to play here now because it's one tournament of clay and everything, but I just took it as experience. You know, to be sitting at home and know that I can play but I'm not here and just will be practicing for two weeks will be not really the best option for me. I love to play matches instead of practicing. So, I mean, I'm here and I will try to do my best, of course, in the match, as well, but from a little bit different angle.

Q. What exactly were you looking for in the most recent practices that ended with you making the decision to play here?
PETRA KVITOVA: Well, I think that my coach didn't have a great beginning of our relationship, I did have the stress fracture and then this one. I mean, we are not really focusing on anything special. We are just, you know, trying to hit as much as I can, to play fast, and that's it. I mean, we don't really have time to do slices or, I don't know, dropshots or whatever.

But, I mean, it's not really easy time for my coach right now. But hopefully he will have some good time with me to practice what he wants. But just now, it's really the basic stuff, and we didn't really have time to do something special.

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