US Open star explains refusing to take husband’s title after getting married

A two-time Wimbledon champion took day out this summer season to get married, however she will not be altering her title. Former world No 2 Petra Kvitova is into the second spherical of the US Open after she opened up her marketing campaign on Monday with a 6-1, 7-6 victory in opposition to Spain’s Cristina Bucsa.

The 33-year-old Czech Republic star lastly tied the knot with long-time accomplice Jiri Vanek final month, however with two Grand Slams and 31 profession titles to her title, Kvitova will not be altering her surname to Vanek any time quickly.

Speaking to Czech outlet iSport.cz about marriage and her title after her first-round match at Flushing Meadows, Kvitova mentioned: “Of course, I will remain Kvitova. It’s not even worth changing, no one will remember it anyway. The first days after the wedding, I felt a little strange that I was married. But gradually I got used to it.

“The wedding ceremony day was superb, I’m positive everybody loved it with us. Really nice, even the climate held out for us. A stupendous day.”

The current world No 11 had been handed a tough opening draw but saw off 25-year-old Bucsa in straight sets regardless.

Life won’t get any easier for the two-times US Open quarterfinalist, however. She will now face generational rival Caroline Wozniacki in the second round after the Danish former world No 1 marked her return to Grand Slam tennis with a victory over Tatiana Prozorova in the first round.

The pair will face each other for the 15th time in 14 years with Kvitova leading the head-to-head record 8-6 including 6-2 on hard courts and four of their last five encounters.

The two former Grand Slam champions’ routes to the US Open could hardly be more different. Kvitova has two titles to her name this year, having triumphed in Miami and Berlin, forcing her way back into the world top 10, although she is currently world No 11.

Wozniacki – a two-times US Open finalist – has only just returned to the sport after taking a break for maternity leave and it is unclear exactly what level she can reach so soon after jumping back on the WTA tour.

Speaking about the match-up, Kvitova said: “We’ve recognized one another for a very long time, she additionally commented on TV, so it felt like she wasn’t even gone. We had enjoyable in Montreal, the place she carried out for the primary time in a very long time. We met within the dressing room and exchanged a couple of phrases.”