“I am back because I love it”

The Czech has won 31 tournaments worldwide and been ranked as high as No 2 but says she is back for one reason and one reason only.

“I tried to explain to everybody that I came back because I love it,” she said. “I miss tennis, I love tennis itself since I was four. So I think the 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. I think it will be very tough in the beginning. But we’ll see how I manage everything. We’ll see how it goes.”

“We know what to do”

Kvitova plays Britain’s Jodie Burrage in the first round. As one of a growing number of mothers on the WTA Tour, Kvitova said she had been inspired by the efforts of Belinda Bencic, who won a tournament earlier this month, having had her first child in April of last year.

And Kvitova said she does not think she will have forgotten how to play good tennis.

“We are used to working hard,” she said. “Even after pregnancy and giving birth we know what to do — and we’re willing to do it. When you already played well before, you want to be back where you belong, basically.

“Belinda and I are in touch, for sure, and it’s nice she’s playing so well. Her daughter is like two-and-a-half months older than our Petr, so that’s fun. She just showed us that it’s possible, coming back after giving birth. That’s a good sign.”