Petra Kvitova’s Tragic Attack that Changed her Life

By Karen Perez

What would a normal person do when they’re in a situation of their life if they either try to stop the attacker, give them money or just let them do whatever they want to do? In a normal situation someone would most likely scream for help, right? Well Petra Kvitova in a moment of danger she decided to test her luck and see if she was a better fighter outside than just tennis.

Tuesday, in Prostejove, Czech Republic. This was the day when Petra Kvitova was brutally stabbed and in order to save her own life when attacked, with her left hand she got the knife and got it away from him. The attackers name is Radim Zondra age 33, and the court sentenced him to 8 years, which means he will come out in his early 40’s. But let’s start from the beginning.

Petra Kvitova was born on March 8,1990, which means that she is currently 29. Before she was terribly hit she started her career in 2007 which means she was 17! That was extremely young, but for Kvitova didn’t let this stop her. Just four years later her coach David Kotyza and her were able to earn her first Grand Slam! Not only that, but three years later the same thing happened; she won her 2nd Grand Slam.

Unfortunately a tragic accident happened. It was a normal day like no other in Prostejove, Kvitova and she was just alerted that an event had changed locations so she was about to get ready when she heard a knocking at the door. She opened it and the man had identified himself as a boiler installer and Kvitova believed him since she actually expected a new boiler to come during that week. When the boiler came inside he asked her "He asked me to turn on the hot water tap and at that moment I had a knife against my neck,” explained Kvitova in an interview with BBC Sports, Sonia Oxley in Moravia, Czech Republic.

Kvitova in a moment of despair held the knife with both of her hands, mostly the left hand. The result was terrifying. If you would like to see the image and are not uncomfortable with blood you can see the image by searching up “Petra Kvitova Left Hand Injured.”

Kvitova told the man that if she gave him money that he would leave and he took the money, 10,000 crowns which is (435.17 dollars in US currency) to be exact. After that he left Petra Kvitova alone which gaver here time to call Cernosek and then she told him the news that her hand had been hurt badly.

“It was a shock," the 71-year-old said in an interview with.... "When Petra rang, I thought she must be having a problem with her car.”

After the attack when she arrived at the hospital the doctors had to tell her some bad news, there was only a 10% or less chance of her returning to playing tennis which would most likely result of her ending her career as a tennis player. even her trainer Miroslav Cernosek says "She showed such mental strength but also she is so talented - if she didn't have that much talent in her then she would never have come back. The injury was so bad that some people would never have even held a pen in that hand again, but she had to pick up a tennis racket."

This shows that most people believe that her career would end but it was completely the opposite. Instead of making her life miserable, it gave Kvitova a bigger confidence to make her continue after the attack.
"During dinner someone from her team would hold her hand and massage it. For that first six months, year, every dinner - she'd take a bite of pasta and then have her hand massaged," explained in an interview from BBC Sports, Sonia Oxley in Moravia, Czech Republic.

Kvitova didn't want people to think that just because of her hand she wasn’t going to continue fighting for her career and her fans. The doctors had told her that if she wanted to increase her probability of returning to tennis she would need to at least take six months to get better, but not even 5 months later, you see Petra Kvitova out in the field playing for the French Open.

Police found her attacker had identify him as Radim Zondra and when she saw him she knew it was him since she had remembered the look in his eyes. The judge was going to give him 12 years in prison but then it was changed to eight years which she was ok with.

Petra Kvitova is known to many as a role model but in the eyes of her fans and in her family and friends she would be known for the woman that came out on top when her attacker thought he would end her career and she would never recover. But the joke’s on him. She continues to play tennis and she has two Grand Slams titles.

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