In most instances, a first-round Grand Slam match isn’t particularly monumental for a winner of multiple majors.
In those rare moments, though, it can be looked at as a moment of triumph. Such was the case for Petra Kvitova at the 2017 French Open.
Only months after being the victim of a vicious home attack, which left her playing hand seriously injured and imperiled her career, the two-time Wimbledon winner made an earlier-than-expected return at the French Open. In the first round, she defeated American Julia Boserup, but then dropped her following match against Bethanie Mattek-Sands.
Still, the sight of Kvitova on the court was touching to the global tennis community. And the good feelings would only continue when she hit the grass.
At the Aegon Classic in Birmingham, the Czech defeated a player making a surprising comeback of her own, Ashleigh Barty, to win the 20th singles title of her career.