12 Years After Historic Wimbledon Crown, Former Champion Re-Lives Nerve-Wracking and Emotional Moments of Triumph and a ‘Crying’ Martina Navratilova in Her Box

In 2011, the tennis world watched in astonishment as Petra Kvitova, a young and promising Czech player, made her way to the Wimbledon finals. Her inspiring journey to the championship match was not only a testament to her talent and determination but also a poignant reminder of the rich tennis history of her home country. Among the many legends that have emerged from the Czech Republic, few have made as lasting an impact on the sport as Martina Navratilova, who was born in Czechoslovakia before becoming a US citizen. The Czech-American legend’s reaction to her winning the title still remains fresh in the mind of Kvitova.

Petra Kvitova confessed in one of her recent interviews how she saw Martina Navratilova sitting in the Royal Box on the day of her finals. Her heart-warming gesture of getting emotional as Petra lifted her first Wimbledon trophy still resonates with her.

Petra Kvitova recalls Martina Navratilova getting emotional after her Wimbledon win in 2011

As Kvitova prepared to take the court for the Wimbledon final, it was clear that her success had struck a chord with Navratilova, one of her most ardent supporters. Throughout the tournament, Navratilova had watched Kvitova’s matches with great interest, marveling at the young player’s powerful groundstrokes and fierce competitive spirit. In many ways, Kvitova’s journey to the finals echoed Navratilova’s own path to tennis glory decades earlier.

In her post-match interview, Petra mentioned, “It was the 2011 final. Martina was in the Royal Box. This was a huge experience for me. Then, of course, sitting in the Royal Box for my final, and I know she was crying when I won. It was a very beautiful emotion.”

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The emotional connection between the two Czech players came to the fore when Kvitova achieved a stunning victory in the Wimbledon final. Upon her triumph, Navratilova, who was present at the match, could not hold back her tears of joy. At that moment, it was as if the torch was being passed from one Czech tennis icon to another, signaling the beginning of a new era of excellence for the nation’s athletes.

Petra Kvitova stands one step away from making her way to the Wimbledon quarter-finals

Ahead of her fourth round match, the Czech tennis star also talked about her experience when she first met Martina Navratilova in the same interview. She said that they first met in a locker room, which was something her fans were not expecting to hear.

Further, she added that she met Martina in the year 2010, when she had not yet won the Wimbledon trophy. However, 2010 was also an important year for her as she had made her way to the semi-finals and that is when they met while they were in the locker room. She also added that it is fun to meet Martina for sure.

Do you think Kvitova can reach her 2011 heights in the twilight of her career?

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