Petra Kvitova is unsurprisingly still very far from her best game as the former world No. 2 lost in her Miami opener and failed to set up a second-round meeting against Coco Gauff.
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After winning the 2023 Miami Open, the Czech tennis star didn't defend her title last year because she was on maternity leave. In February, the 35-year-old - who is currently ranked at No. 1126 in the world - confirmed her post-pregnancy comeback and shortly after received a main draw wildcard for the second tournament of the Sunshine Double.
In her first Miami match since 2023, Kvitova competed well but fell short in two sets to Sofia Kenin, who claimed a 6-4 7-5 win.
Early in the match, the Czech wildcard was twice up by a break but Kenin claimed the opener after registering back-to-back breaks in the eighth and 10th games of the first set.
In the second set, the two-time Wimbledon champion saved a match point in the 10th game but couldn't do the same when serving to stay in the match for the second time two games later.
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As a result, fans in Miami will have a chance to see two American Grand Slam champions take on each other in the second round - 2020 Australian Open champion Kenin and 2023 US Open winner Gauff.
Kvitova told fans not to expect much from her early in her comeback
So far, the Czech is 0-3since returning, having also lost to Jodie Burrage in the Austin first round and Varvara Gracheva in the Indian Wells first round, respectively. But before starting her comeback, the 35-year-old noted that she didn't expect to instantly return to her best or be a contender for titles.
"My tennis is not at a level where I can win tournaments, certainly not at the moment. I will be happy if I win a match. I would like to tell people not to hope for a miracle. We'll see in time whether it will improve or not. Of course, I'm training, doing everything I can for it and we'll see where it leads," Kvitova told Czech media last month.
