Thirty-three-year-old Petra Kvitova is defying the constraints of age with her brilliant performances on the tennis court. The Czech player has reached the finals of the Berlin Open and will look to bag the 31st WTA title of her career when she takes on Croatia’s Donna Vekic. In doing so, she created history by becoming the oldest player to reach the final of the Berlin Open. This will mark the 2-time Wimbledon champion’s 42nd career final on the WTA tour, 30 of which she managed to win. Indeed, a testament to the veteran’s longevity.
The reasons for celebrations do not end here for Kvitova, though. As she made her way to the Berlin Open finals, she joined Chris Evert in an all-exclusive club.
Petra Kvitova shares the stage with Chris Evert after a unique achievement in Berlin
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Kvitova achieved the incredible feat of becoming the oldest player to reach the finals of the Berlin Open, at 33 years of age. Not only that – she now joins the legendary American Chris Evert as the only 2 players to ever play the finals at the Berlin Open after turning 30. Evert, considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, won the Berlin Open in 1985 as a 30-year-old. The American defeated another legend in the making, Steffi Graf, who was then a 15-year-old prodigy, in a famous match at the finals. Kvitova would certainly be honored to be in the company of the great Chris Evert.
2 – Petra Kvitova is the oldest player to reach the final in Berlin. She is the second player to advance to the final at this event after turning 30 along with Chris Evert in 1985. Experience.#bett1open | @WTA @WTA_insider @bett1open pic.twitter.com/tkvNt7KQ7M
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) June 24, 2023
Having said that, there are some differences between the Berlin Open of 1985 and that of today. The Berlin Open was contested in clay from its inception in 1896 until 2008, after which it remained absent for more than a decade. The event again returned to the calendar in 2021, having switched its surface from clay to grass.?
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Kvitova builds significant momentum before Wimbledon
Currently placed at number 9 in the WTA rankings, Petra Kvitova has had an amazing run at the Berlin Open so far. The Czech fended off challenges from a number of strong opponents on her way to the finals. She got the better of compatriot Karolina Pliskova in the first round and backed it up with victories against Nadia Podoroska in the round of 16 and 3rd seed Caroline Garcia in the quarterfinals. Kvitova then defeated Ekaterina Alexandrova in the semifinals to book her place in the finals.
These victories will serve as the perfect momentum for Kvitova heading into Wimbledon. She will hope to use her good run of form to replicate the heroics from her triumphant Wimbledon campaigns in 2011 and 2014.
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