Just by playing in Paris, Petra Kvitova has already won

PARIS — Only two months after picking up her racket for the first time following a knife attack at her home, Petra Kvitova will be playing at the French Open.

Kvitova has missed all season while recovering from surgery on her racket-holding left hand.

Doctors initially thought she would need more time before returning to tennis.

“It wasn’t easy, but I’m happy that I work through this and I can play tennis and I can be in the draw,” she said.

Kvitova, who won the Wimbledon title in 2011 and 2014 and climbed as high as No. 2 in the WTA rankings, was not allowed to speak about the attack itself because a police investigation is still ongoing.

[...] from the second day after surgery I started to work with that, which was kind of easy, just passive work with the fingers.

Kvitova is making her ninth appearance at Roland Garros, reaching the semifinals in 2012.

Samuel Petrequin is an Associated Press writer.

French Open

Tennis’ second Grand Slam

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