"I will go to Portugal to get an idea of where I stand," Pliskova discusses her return to competition

After more than a year away due to an ankle injury sustained at the 2024 US Open, Karolina Pliskova is preparing to make her big comeback on the tour. The 33-year-old former world number one has been invited by the organizers of the WTA 125 tournament in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal, which takes place from September 15 to 21.

This is excellent news for the Czech player, who finally sees light at the end of the tunnel after undergoing multiple ankle surgeries since her withdrawal at Flushing Meadows last year. The player herself discussed her highly anticipated return to competition.

"I will go to Portugal at the end of the week. I hope I don’t have any new serious injuries by then. Maybe I’m a bit paranoid, or maybe not. I had planned to play this week, but I had a back issue.

If I survive my first match mentally and physically, we will go to Asia, where I would like to play a tournament. Even though I still have back pain, I’ve gotten used to it.

So I will go to Portugal to get an idea of where I stand. We’ll see how everything goes," Pliskova assured in recent hours for Tennis Up To Date before rediscovering the joy and sensations of competition.