Article by David Istrate – Published Monday, December 29, 2025 23:15 / Updated Monday, December 29, 2025 23:21
Karolina Pliskova (33 years old), the former world leader, will return to activity in January 2026, going to participate in several tournaments in Australia. The double Grand Slam finalist spoke in an interview about the last 18 months, the injuries that kept her off the court and her return to tennis.
Karolina Pliskova injured her ankle at the 2024 US Open in a match against Italy's Jasmine Paolini and had to withdraw. Two surgeries and a long recovery process followed. In September, the Czech returned to the tennis court, but he played only 3 matches, at a Challenger in Portugal and one in Turkeyand then sat on the touch again.
Karolina Pliskova: “There was a moment when I thought I might not come back”
In January, Pliskova aims to play more tournaments in Australia and she talked about all this in an interview with Flashscore.
“I have to say things have calmed down. Maybe I started a little too early in the fall. My leg wasn't really ready, and neither was my body. It's better now. I made it through most of December without any major issues. Of course, matches are another story and I miss them immensely. I have no illusions that everything will go perfectly. But I've been working out quite a bit, although not as hard as when I was younger. However, I think I'm ready,” revealed the 33-year-old tennis player.
“There was even a moment when I thought I might not come back at all. It wasn't just my leg, but my back, my arm, everything. It just didn't make sense anymore,” she added, recalling the extremely complicated moments of the past year.
At the beginning of 2026, Pliskova will compete in Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne (Australian Open). These three tournaments will be a test to help the 2019 Australian Open semi-finalist decide what's next.
“It's always been my favorite part of the season, I've always loved all the tournaments there. So I'm even more excited, especially since I couldn't be there last year. But I don't have any expectations, I'm just enjoying the moment. Not just the tournaments, but the whole atmosphere. You never know when the last time might be. I don't think I would ever come back just as a tourist after I finish my careerPliskova admitted.
17titles won by Karolina Pliskova throughout her singles career
Karolina Pliskova, photo: Imago
Karolina Pliskova, no future plans: “I only want to play if I can do it without pain”
“No, I don't have any plans. Honestly, I want to wait and see how things go in Australia and then maybe we'll make a longer-term plan. I'll see how the games go, how I feel mentally and physically and how much I want to continue. I certainly don't want to force myself. So if I'm not physically well, I know it wouldn't make sense to continue“, added the athlete who started her professional career in 2009.
Pliskova admitted that she had doubts during the recovery process and questioned her future in tennis, but the last practice matches gave her more confidence and she felt better on the court.
“I only want to play if I can do it without pain and if I enjoy it,” emphasized Pliskova, who also explained how women's tennis has changed:
“I think it's constantly evolving and everything seems to be getting faster. Everyone is working hard, even if there aren't huge leaps. The top players have been pretty stable for a few years now, but there are also some new young names emerging. There aren't many players anymore who just run and return balls – the trend is more towards fast tennis without long exchanges. The game is more about power and speed and you don't have much time to think, which might actually be a small advantage for me.”
26.14Karolina Pliskova won millions of dollars from tennis
