On this day in 2016: Petra Kvitova ‘fortunate to be alive’ after knife attack

Petra Kvitova said she was “shaken” and “fortunate to be alive” after a knife attack in her apartment, on this day in 2016.

The two-time Wimbledon champion was confronted by an intruder posing as a utilities man seeking to read a meter, holding a knife to her throat and injuring her racket-holding hand in the attack.

“I am shaken, but fortunate to be alive,” the Czech player wrote on social media.

“The injury is severe and I will need to see specialists, but if you know anything about me I am strong and I will fight this.”

At a press conference three days later, Kvitova revealed she had undergone surgery lasting nearly four hours after tendons in all four of her fingers and thumb were damaged as well as two nerves.

Having initially targeted a return for Wimbledon, Kvitova made her return to competitive action ahead of schedule at the French Open in 2017 and reached a grand slam final at the Australian Open two years later.

Although she fell to defeat against Naomi Osaka in the 2019 final, Kvitova put the loss into perspective post-match.

She said: “To my team, thank you for everything. But mostly thank you for sticking with me even though we didn’t know if I would be able to hold the racket again. For supporting me and staying positive for me, which I really needed.”

In 2019, Czech man Radim Zondra was charged and sentenced to eight years in prison, with the sentence increasing to 11 years on appeal.

Kvitova is currently ranked 14th in the world and won the Miami Open in April earlier this year.