WTA: “Body must recover”: Kuznetsova misses start of season

After a wrist surgery, Svetlana Kuznetsova returned in August 2018 with a tournament victory in Washington. But the two-time Grand Slam winner from Russia also misses the season opener in 2019.

In the summer in Washington Svetlana Kuznetsova seemed to have turned back time. In the final she defeated Donna Vekic in 2:32 hours. At 4:6, 7:6 (9:7), 6:2 she fended off four Croatian match points in the second set – and celebrated her first title in the US capital after a 21-month dry spell.

After that, the Russian woman gave us a deep look. “I had a difficult time after my wrist surgery,” emphasized Kuznetsova and said, “It’s hard because this sport is a bit different, psychology plays a big role here. If you lose, you feel bad. And if you win, everyone will lift you to heaven.”

It was not until March 2018 that the 33-year-old celebrated her season opening after a break of months at the million-dollar spectacle in Indian Wells. And only one year later “Sveta” seems to be threatening the same fate. She announced that she would not be fit until the start of the new season.

“With my team and the doctors we have made the difficult decision that my body has to recover from the injuries,” wrote Kuznetsova at Instagram: “In the next few days I will undergo intensive treatment and then try to get my body into shape.

The US Open winner of 2004 and French Open Champion Filly of 2009 did not announce when she plans to make a comeback.

The former world number two Kuznetsova is currently ranked 107th in the WTA ranking. Only recently, “K27” commented on their future: “When I’m 35, I don’t want to play tennis anymore, that’s my limit. After that, I want to give myself a chance and lead another life.”

When the time comes, the circuit will lose a special player, one of the few remaining ball virtuosos.