TWO-TIME Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova wept tears as she retired from professional tennis – but only a few hundred fans witnessed her last-ever appearance.
Kvitova, 35, served six double faults as she was smashed 6-1 6-0 in 52 minutes by Frenchwoman Dianne Parry on the Grandstand arena on day two of action at Flushing Meadows.
However, as spectators struggled to enter the grounds due to travel chaos on the nearby freeway, the stands were close to being empty for her finale, which began at 11am.
It was a sad way for the Czech ace, who lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish in 2011 and 2014, to bow out from the sport.
And despite the one-sided nature of the result, she deserved a better send-off, especially in front of a bigger audience.
Kvitova, who turned professional in 2006, was using a protected ranking to enter the main draw in the Big Apple.
With tears in her eyes, Kvitova – a two-time US Open quarter-finalist – said: “Thank you guys for coming.
“I hoped I’d put on a better show today but it was really tough to know that maybe it’s my last one. Emotionally it was really tough.
“So I’m not sure how you’re gonna talk right now after the video and everything but thank you.
“Thank you New York for an amazing Grand Slam. I’m very happy to be here as my last dance. Thank you to my husband and coach, in one person.
“Thank you for my family back home, my parents, they sacrificed a lot for me at the beginning. And my ex-coaches as well.
“It’s been a long and amazing journey. Thank you very much.”
Nice-born Parry, 22, said: “Never easy to play this kind of match, especially when you know that it can be her last match.
“It’s been an honour to play against her at least once in my career. I have so much respect for her and for the amazing career that she had.
“I just wish her all the best for the future.
“I really tried to stay focused from the beginning to the end. I tried to be really fast on the first shot, because I know she’s playing really aggressive every time.
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“I’m pretty happy about my level and hopefully I can increase even in the next one.”
Kvitova, who lost in the first round of Wimbledon, has dropped down to 543rd in the world rankings.
Her inactivity can be explained by the fact she gave birth to son Petr in July 2024 and she has only won one of her seven matches this calendar year.
Her career was badly affected in December 2016 when she was attacked by a knife-wielding man, who entered her flat on the pretence he needed to inspect her boiler.
The former world No.2 suffered severe wounds to her left hand in the fight to free herself and in March 2019, the culprit, Radim Zondra, was sentenced to eight years in jail.
When she returned to the sport five months after the ordeal, she said she was “fortunate to be alive” and doctors never expected her to play at the top level again.
She also won an Olympic bronze medal at the Rio 2016 Games, reached the 2019 Australian Open final – where she lost in three sets to Naomi Osaka – and was part of six Billie Jean King Cup-winning squads for her country.
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