Double Grand Slam winner Petra Kvitova is keeping her excitement and hopes in check as the Czech returns to tennis neatly 18 months after stepping aside to give birth.

The Wimbledon winner from 2011 and 2014 is making her return this week at the WTA 250 in Austin, starting with Brit Jody Burrage in the first round.

Kvitoa has not played a match since October, 2023, and gave birth to son Petr last July during Wimbledon.

She said her return to the courts is all about the love – not the money.

“I miss tennis; I have loved tennis itself since I was four. So, I think my love for the sport took me back to tennis. 

“I missed the hard work, the sweat, that’s why I’m here. I don’t know for how long, or how long I’m going to enjoy it or how my body’s going to feel,” she told the WTA.

The Czech added that she will not be setting her goals too high as she joins the group of WTA tennis mothers who have attempted comebacks

“I don’t expect anything, basically.  I’m here — that’s already a big deal for me. “I tried to explain to everybody that I came back because I love it,

“Sometimes I’m really surprised by myself. Like, why I did it? But I think I would have regretted it if I didn’t come back I’m not putting any goals on myself, 

“I will never play as good as I was playing when I was winning tournaments.”

But she added: “I want to enjoy myself playing tennis, and I think it will take time. 

“It will be very tough in the beginning. But we’ll see how I manage everything, we’ll see how it goes.”