Burrage Praises Kvitova: "I Knew It Would Be a Battle on the Court"

On Tuesday, Petra Kvitova made her return to the WTA circuit. The former world number 2, a two-time Wimbledon winner absent from the courts since Beijing 2023 after the birth of her first child, resumed competition at the WTA 250 tournament in Austin.

In Texas, the Czech player put up a strong fight in her comeback but ultimately fell to Jodie Burrage, ranked 189th in the world (3-6, 6-4, 6-4), after coming close to taking control of the third set with a break back to equalize at 4-4.

After the match, Burrage praised her opponent, whom she was facing for the first time, on the official WTA website.

"She's a great champion, and I knew it would be a battle on the court today. I didn't start well, but she played like she hadn't been away for 17 months.

She was hitting the ball hard, and everything was going in, so I knew who I was up against. In my mind, there was no doubt that she would be the same player she was 17 months ago.

I am very happy with how I stayed calm. I managed to come back into the match and fight until the end," assured the Brit.