Fresh Kvitova Triumph Will Make Wimbledon Smile
Locker Room
March 7, 2021
Anyone who has just seen Petra Kvitova win Doha so emphatically will be tempted to smile.
If you love Wimbledon, there is reason to love Petra.
Not only has she already won Wimbledon twice.
Kivitova also probably spoke more eloquently than anyone when she became the first to look forward to Wimbledon 2021 and what it will mean to us all.
It’s not that we don’t admire Garbine Muguruza, the other finalist at Doha, and also a very worthy former Wimbledon champion.
It’s just that Kvitova’s feelings summed up everyone’s mood when Wimbledon 2020 had to be cancelled.
Remember that painful time last April? Petra came to the rescue with her brilliant reaction.
Yes, it was Kvitova who got everyone thinking about Wimbledon 2021.
She said: ‘Not only is it a special tournament to me, but it’s been part of history for so long that it will leave a big hole in the calendar.
‘I will miss playing on the beautiful grass and wearing my whites, BUT of course we know it will be back better than ever next year. And maybe we will appreciate it even more.’
That’s just it. We will appreciate Wimbledon 2021 even more. The Championships will indeed be back better than ever in a few months.
Now the build-up has begun. The excitement. The anticipation. You can almost feel it.
Somehow the build-up began with Kvitova and her supreme positivity back in the darkest days.
And anyone who has followed Petra’s career will understand that she knows more than most how to come back from dark days.
She feared she would never play again after a vicious knife attack in 2016. Gradually she fought her way back to fitness and she started to win again.
This 6-2, 6-1 triumph over Muguruza signalled Kvitova’s 28th career title. She also became the first woman to win 20 matches in Doha. She loves the place.
But it was Petra’s love for Wimbledon that made us smile when we needed our spirits to be raised the most.
She understands what makes Wimbledon so special. And even last year she understood what will make Wimbledon 2021 so special.
She has captured the emotion and significance of Wimbledon 2021.
So we are truly happy that Kvitova has also captured yet another title. As usual, she did it in style.
Congratulations Petra! See you at the big one.
And if you make it a Wimbledon hat-trick, we will be the first to applaud you.