Emotional Kvitova ends career with US Open loss

"was my last one - [I'm] emotional," Kvitova said on court afterwards.

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"It's been a long and amazing journey."

Meanwhile, French former world number four Caroline Garcia also brought her career to an end after a 6-4 4-6 6-3 defeat by Kamila Rakhimova at Flushing Meadows.

Kvitova has been a fan favourite for many years thanks to her huge groundstrokes and booming left-handed serve.

There were fears her career would end prematurely after she was stabbed in her left hand by an intruder at her home in 2016.

The attack damaged tendons and nerves in her playing hand but she returned to playing in June 2017 and went on to reach the Australian Open final two years later.

In recent years she has fallen down the rankings and last made the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam in 2020.

Kvitova missed the entire 2024 season to have her son, Petr, and only returned to action in February.