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Petra Kvitova says practicing a lot usually leaves her "tired of tennis overall" and negatively impacts her performance when she is playing real matches. Even though Kvitova didn't really practice much leading up to the Sunshine Double, she was still able to win Miami and reach the Indian Wells quarterfinal.
Kvitova, who turned 33 in early March, now has a great understanding of what works well for her and that's why she has minimized her practice before and during tournaments. "If I'm practicing a lot, I just get tired of tennis overall.
And then when I'm on the match court I'm probably not enjoying the tennis as much. So I need some time off actually, not to play every day or be on the court for so many hours. I need to enjoy the match itself afterward, where I can play very good," Kvitova said on the WTA Insider podcast.
Kvitova: I need that time mentally off
"Of course in my career I was putting a lot of work in. And then I was totally empty and I couldn't play tennis at all. So of course I tried it, I really tried many times with different coaches, but it just couldn't work that much for me.
I really need that time mentally off as well. Yeah, I hear all the time, working hard, working hard, working hard. I do! When I'm on the court and in the gym, I do. I don't like it, but I have to practice, of course. But in the match it's a different story," Kvitova added.
Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon champion, became the oldest Miami champion since Serena Williams won the title in 2015. Following her Miami win, former world No 2 Kvitova also returned to the top-10 for the first time since 2021. Kvitova, now ranked at No 10 in the world. will now be hoping to continue her fine form during the clay season.