Congratulations Pouring In For 2-Time Major Champion Tennis Player Friday

Congratulations Pouring In For 2-Time Major Champion Tennis Player Friday originally appeared on The Spun.
With the Wimbledon Championships coming up later this month, tennis fans received bittersweet news this week.
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Petra Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon champion, announced that she's retiring after the 2025 US Open. She posted a heartfelt statement on Instagram regarding her decision.
"Growing up in my hometown of Fulnek and hitting the first tennis balls with my father on the local courts, I never imagined becoming a professional tennis player, being able to travel the world, and playing in the most beautiful stadiums around the world. And sure enough…somehow all of that became a reality, and so much more," Kvitova wrote.
"I've been privileged to reach incredible heights over the past 19 years since becoming a professional tennis player. From winning my two Wimbledon Championships, bringing home six Billie Jean King Cup trophies for the Czech Republic, reaching the world #2 ranking and so much. I have accomplished more than I could have ever imagined and I am so grateful to everything that tennis has given me all these years. It has taught me countless lessons, not only on the court or in the gym, but also in life. I would never be whom I am today without this beautiful sport, and everything it has given me both on and off the court."
LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 09: Andy Murray (C) poses for a photo with Petra Kvitova of Czechia and Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil during the Andy Murray Arena unveiling ahead of the Women's Singles First Round match on Day One of the 2025 HSBC Championships at The Queen's Club on June 09, 2025 in London, England. (Photo byfor LTA)Although this wasn't an easy decision for Kvitova, she let her fans know that she'll be leaving the game behind with a huge smile on her face.
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"While no such decision is ever easy to make, for me this is a happy moment! I will leave the sport with the biggest smile on my face - the same smile you've seen from me on and off court throughout my whole career," she wrote at the end of her statement.
Immediately after Kvitova shared her retirement letter with the rest of the world, she received kind messages from her fans.
"A career to be so proud of, and an incredible role model for generations to come. Congratulations Petra," one fan said.
"One of the most gracious, beloved champions the sport has ever known. you will be missed Petra," a second fan commented.
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"Congrats on amazing career and being a great example with the nicest attitude to the public," another person wrote.
"Congratulations!!! Amazing career," an Instagram user declared.
Kvitova, who was once ranked No. 2 in the world, is coming off a loss to Beatriz Haddad Maia at the HSBC Championships.
We'll see if Kvitova can end her illustrious career on a high note.
Related: Tennis Star Throws Racket Into Crowd During Meltdown
Congratulations Pouring In For 2-Time Major Champion Tennis Player Friday first appeared on The Spun on Jun 20, 2025
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.

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The train from central London to Ascot is a hotbed of sharp suits, stunning designer dresses and brow sweat. It's 26C (79 Fahrenheit), summer has finally arrived in England, and, for the immaculately dressed people heading for a day at the races in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, that's perfect timing. Advertisement For a start, it gives the above-average ratio of people who have decided to wear sunglasses on the train an excuse to keep them on, despite the carriage being in the shade and, well, inside. Without meaning to stereotype, there are a lot of people who really, really love themselves on this train. To be blunt, it's a high tosser ratio. Much higher than usual. Normally, a train full of people heading to a sporting event, a football match, for example, would involve at least some discussion about the day ahead. Two blokes in this carriage are discussing the relocation of Abercrombie & Fitch. There is some chat about the impending race day. Some women are talking about their tickets being 'in with the plebs' and are discussing tactics about how to blag their way into the Royal Enclosure. One of their number regales an anecdote about last year's event and how their friend was excited to win £80 ($107) on a race. 'Oh, that was cute,' one of the group scoffs. 'We won £900 last year and £2,000 the year before.' These are by no means gambling experts, given that they then describe how their cat helped pick their chosen horses. But hey, if you've got the cash, flaunt it. And that will happen a lot today. This is Royal Ascot, slap bang in the middle of the high-society British sporting summer, which encompasses a jewel-encrusted series of events scattered around west London and surrounding areas. Tennis at Queen's Club, polo at Hurlingham, more racing at Epsom, cricket at Lord's, rowing at the Henley Regatta… all early summer events within a 40-mile radius stretching west of the UK's capital city, where the on-field action often feels secondary to the social buzz that surrounds them. So, who exactly attends these events? And do they actually care about the sport? The Athletic donned its finest attire to find out. At Ascot, the five-day race card is open to all (there is a £35 ticket option), but it also welcomes royalty, Andrew Lloyd Webber and lots of well-spoken blokes in top hats. 'Look at her, she's got nothing on her shoulders,' one irate woman points and speaks in angry, hushed tones to her friend. 'That's not for a royal occasion.' Advertisement Royal Ascot is about what you wear as much as it is about horses. The latter is more important to the majority of people in attendance. That and flashing your cash. 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Queen Elizabeth II was British racing's greatest ambassador and a successful owner in her own right (she had more than 20 Royal Ascot winners). She also genuinely loved the sport, having regular catch-ups with her racing manager and only missing one Royal Ascot meeting (in June 2022, three months before she died). King Charles III does not have the same affinity for the sport, but he does his best, taking on his mother's stable of horses and waving dutifully at the Royal Ascot parade, which takes place every day before the first race. It is part of several traditions that racegoers still adhere to in 2025, such as the dress code. If you're sat in the Royal Enclosure, banned items include strapless or one-shoulder dresses, see-through fabric, midriffs, bow ties, cravats or neckerchiefs. Instead, women must wear a dress or skirt that falls just above the knee or longer, or a trouser suit of matching material or colour, and a hat or headpiece with a minimum diameter of four inches. Advertisement Men have to wear a morning suit which is black, grey or navy, a waistcoat and tie, a top hat, and black shoes with socks covering the ankle. The cheaper the seats, the more relaxed the dress code becomes, but absolutely none of the 250,000 attendees can wear trainers, shorts, denim or leggings. With all this pomp and ceremony, you'd hope the facilities match the occasion, and Royal Ascot does not disappoint. The main grandstand was rebuilt 20 years ago in a £220million ($297m) redevelopment, the biggest investment ever made in British horse racing. You can see where the money went; the huge, sprawling stand comes with great views, great bars, great eateries and great, well, everything. Massive escalators can take you to a higher vantage point (if you've bought the more expensive tickets), while outside there is a vast grassy area of more bars, more food and hundreds of seats and tables, covered or uncovered. 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Advertisement Meanwhile, a woman stubs out her cigarette in her own ashtray, a mini glass jam jar. The posh don't like littering, apparently. It's 5pm and, by a statue of famous horse Frankel, there is a make-up brush on the ground and half a portion of chips. Almost everywhere you look, women are hobbling. Some are already carrying their shoes in their hand and, if they get the train back, will be grateful to the young lads selling flip-flops for £5 near the station (just a 10-minute walk away). 'Yeah, we're not doing good, I'm afraid,' a man down on his luck bemoans on the phone. However you're spending your day and however much you're spending (or losing), there is a sense of this being somewhere near the best of British. Yes, it's exclusive, but unless you're wearing fancy dress or shorts, everyone is welcome. The glorious sunshine helps, but the enormous Union flags that adorn the front of the main grandstand reflect the grand occasion. 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Advertisement 'Well done, old chap,' one man remarks to his friend in an accent that makes King Charles sound like a commoner. Epsom offers a stark contrast between the rich and the not-so-rich. On one side of the dividing line, there are expensive suits and Champagne, a few metres away, there are, yes, plenty of young lads in suits, but also baseball caps, hoodies and see-through ponchos. There is a section of exclusivity, for sure (Queen Elizabeth II was a regular on Derby day) and Epsom certainly caters for the Royal Ascot crowd, but you wonder if it wishes to exclusively do so in the future given how prices have gone up for your average racegoer. It's £76.50 for a Derby day ticket in the main Grandstand near the finishing line (£165 for the Queen Elizabeth II stand). Even for the day before, Ladies Day, it's £72, which is up from £50 just a few years ago. There are cheaper alternatives, such as £35 for the Tattenham Corner, but that is situated far from the finish line and there is no access to the parade ring. Pints, surprisingly, are more expensive at Epsom than at Ascot; a Pravha or Madri will set you back £7.99, as will a Guinness. It's not cheap and the crowds have visibly dwindled in recent years. The Racing Post reported that this year's Derby crowd was 22,312, down from 38,044 in 2019, the year before the pandemic. Even the hill opposite, which is free to attend, is noticeably quieter, although the horrific, endless rain will have something to do with that. If Epsom is maybe unclear as to its target audience, those in attendance still make the most of the day despite the weather. And unlike in the posh bit, winning bets are celebrated like a last-minute football goal. 'GET IN THERE,' one chap punches the air, cigarette in hand, before sprinting off to collect his winnings. Another has been slightly less lucky in that he's won, too, but has discarded his betting slip. He and his friends start the demeaning task of rummaging through discarded pieces of paper on the soggy, concrete floor, pushing past umbrellas and apologising through grimaces. It's safe to say he isn't wearing a top hat. There are umbrellas at Queen's Club, too, but only to shelter from the unyielding, scorching heat. Queen's, sponsor-titled as the HSBC Championships, is the premier warm-up for Wimbledon at the start of the tennis grass-court season. Its main court, the newly minted Andy Murray Arena, hosts almost 9,000 spectators. For comparison, Wimbledon's Centre Court hosts just shy of 15,000. Queen's this year hosted a women's singles event for the first time since 1973, with the competition having moved to Eastbourne in the intervening decades. Both it and the men's event are 500-level, two rungs below a Grand Slam such as Wimbledon. It boasts a stellar line-up: 10 of the world's top 20 women, including Madison Keys and Zheng Qinwen, and in the men's draw, Carlos Alcaraz, Jack Draper and Taylor Fritz. While Wimbledon is far more well-known and prestigious, Queen's takes its place on the summer social calendar of 'to be seen' west London events. Advertisement Wimbledon is posh, too, sure, but it boasts many more tourists than Queen's, which has an air of exclusivity with its endless swathes of beige trousers and pink shirts. Like the All England Club, it's also a private members' club for the rest of the year. Good luck getting in, with membership applications closed since 2019. If they ever reopen, the annual fee is just over £2,000, but anyone who makes it as a member also has to purchase a £15,000 share in the club. During the tournament, Neal's Yard Dairy knows its audience. Positioned just outside Barons Court underground station, one of its staff is stood outside selling picnic boxes with four classic British cheeses for £15. Or a sparkling apple juice for £3.50. A man in vanilla trousers and a blue shirt marches down the street, having bought a Panama hat. Unbeknownst to him, the label is bouncing off the back. There's no official dress code at Queen's, but most people dress exactly the same anyway, particularly the men. Light trousers, light shirt, Panama hat. Done. Everyone tends to drink the same, too; Pimm's, at £34 a jug or £12 a glass. It's also incredibly well positioned, just a five-minute walk from Barons Court on the London Underground and sat almost invisibly among rows of terraces and marbled houses and apartments. A posh version of Everton's (now former) football ground Goodison Park, basically. 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For a start, the cheers from the nearby Andy Murray Arena are loud and booming, but so too is the exclusive balcony area hanging just to the side of the court, where people are sipping their wine or their Pimm's and chatting loudly (the judge on court 1 has to shush them at one point). Where professional sport means a social occasion. A woman eats salmon with a plastic spoon while Batista Agut glares at someone who decides to get up and walk out during a point. Borges' serve is later delayed for the same reason. 'Why don't we just play on?' he angrily queries. 'People are just f****** moving on the sides anyway, we might as well just play.' No one seems too concerned by the outburst. One man's primary issue is balancing his tray of sushi on his knees while he squirts soy sauce over the top. Pie and a pint, this ain't. Despite the quantities of alcohol being quaffed (they don't drink here, they quaff) and the boiling weather, it's a civilised day to the end. The gender split being balanced as much towards women than men undoubtedly helps on that front. All of which, coupled with the incredible access fans can have to players (Borges and Batista Agut simply walk through the crowd alone at the end of their match, out to the corridors where anyone can stand and ask for their autograph or a selfie) makes Queen's a great day out. And a pretty posh one at that. It's not as posh as The Hurlingham Club, though, which surely takes the crown (a pretty expensive crown, too) as Britain's most exclusive early summer soiree. This is polo's blue riband event, based near Putney Bridge and Fulham Football Club. Known as Chesterton's Party in the Park, this is far more about hob-nobbing than it is about polo. For context, the only thing holding up traffic near the venue on a sunny Sunday morning is a delivery van from Waitrose, the British middle classes' go-to supermarket. A man walking past has a jumper tied around his shoulders in a non-ironic manner. And every second person looks like Benedict Cumberbatch. Advertisement The three-day tournament climaxes on Sunday with six teams from Dubai, the U.S. and London among those doing battle. 'This is adrenaline-fuelled, high-class international top-quality polo,' the announcer says to a crowd of a few hundred sat in a temporary stand. The rest of the venue is littered with benches featuring people drinking, yep, Pimm's, or wine, watching blokes dressed as knights on horses attempt to lance a ring of flames onto their spear as a warm-up act before the main event. If you go to watch football, cricket or rugby, you'll probably find burger vans, bars and merchandise stalls. At Hurlingham, there's a Hello Fresh stand. Or a Champagne tent. Or a shop for hand-rolled Cuban cigars. You can also book dog-and-family professional photography, or buy lots of expensive clothes. As for food, burgers are out, teriyaki rice bowls, calamari and Moroccan street food wraps are in. And if you want a pint of British bitter on draught, forget it. The only thing on tap is, you guessed it, Pimm's. If you're not wearing a cream blazer, you probably shouldn't be here. As for the sport, well, as we're told, it's 70 per cent about the horse and 30 per cent about the rider. If you've never seen polo, the horses basically chase a ball around a large field while their riders stoop down and try to hit it through goalposts with a large mallet. But no one is really watching that; Hurlingham is about drinking and being seen, or just catching up with friends. And there are a lot of kids around, who are all allowed onto the pitch at half-time to stamp out the divots. A family-friendly day of posh food, posh drink and not much polo. And an overriding smell of privilege and horses**t. (Top photos: Benjamin Cremel, Dan Kitwood, Marco Endelli, Dan Istitene, John Walton – all Getty Images; design: Kelsea Petersen)