Pliskova comeback is on but “Definitely Not” playing into her 40s
The former world No 1 is through to the third round of the WTA Qatar Open after two wins in the main draw
Karolina Pliskova, Doha 2026
Image Credit: Qatar Tennis
Vera Zvonareva is back on tour at 41 and so is Venus Williams at the age of 45 — but Karolina Pliskova has no plans to follow their footsteps and play on the tour into her 40s.
The former world No. 2 Zvonareva has beaten three top-100 players at the WTA Qatar TotalEnergies Open this week to come through qualifying and reach the second round. Venus Williams, four years older, is also back, accepting a wildcard into the WTA Austin Open after producing a commendable performance at last month’s Australian Open.
Pliskova, however, does not expect to be playing into her next decade. The former world No. 1, who turns 34 next month, reached the third round in Doha after defending champion and third seed Amanda Anismova retired on Monday while trailing 5-7, 7-6, 4-1 due to illness.
She said she was surprised by the level she was able to produce on one hand, but also had been working hard to keep in shape while she was off the tour.
“I’m surprised because coming back to this kind of level is hard. You can still do okay, and you can still lose matches. And we’ve seen so many good players actually come back, and they kept losing. So I was a bit afraid of that. I will not lie,” Pliskova said after her win over Anisimova. “But I also worked pretty hard to be at least physically ready and not to be surprised by how tough something is. So I did my part. That’s why I’m not really surprised by the level. And physically, I feel like I can move quite well, and I can play for two to three hours without a problem. But you’re never going to know how you react until you play these matches. So, yeah, I’m surprised that I’m doing quite okay.”
On the weekend, the Czech played what she described as ‘a perfect match’, to beat world No. 62 Solana Sierra 6-1, 6-2 in the first round.
“I think I played very good today. I did not do much wrong, starting from the serve, which was very solid. Holding my serve, of course, for all the games and making it difficult for her on the return. And putting a lot of pressure. I think I played a perfect match today. It was my first match here after two years. I have always played well at this tournament. So I feel I can play well again here,” the Czech said after her first round win in Doha.
Pliskova, a two-time Grand Slam finalist, is on the comeback trail after a serious ankle injury sustained during the 2024 US Open sidelined her for a year. She returned for two events last September, but later admitted her body was not ready. She resurfaced only at the Australian Open, where she won back-to-back matches before losing to defending champion Madison Keys.
The 17-time WTA titlist said she remains cautious with her ankle and, while she would like to play for another year or two, she has not planned her schedule beyond March for now.
“That (Melbourne) was tough because it was my first tournament back after a while. Of course, the day off between at a Slam helped a little bit because I had the time to adapt. I was pretty tired, let’s say, and my body was hurting, but I feel much better now with time. So I just hope to play some matches because I think you just need to spend time on the court and have this experience of playing matches. It’s never the same with the practice.So I feel much better. I’m not planning to play a heavy schedule because still I feel like my body is not completely ready for that. I need to see after every week how I feel and how the body and the leg reacts. But of course, my plan now is to play these big tournaments. The more I play matches, the better, but you never know what kind of draw you’re also going to get. I just need to see after every week, like to sit with my team. But for now, the plan is to play here, then Dubai and then Indian Wells and Miami and then no further plans.”
“It could be my last year, maybe like my last two years on court.” – Pliskova
Pliskova, who meets 14th seed Karolina Muchova or Tereza Valentova in the third round, added that her desire to compete — and travel — was a major reason she returned.
“I’m competitive, I did this all year every year. So you kind of miss the competition, you miss the tournaments.I miss to travel actually, to these places. For many years, it’s just a normal life for you to go every year to Doha, every year to Dubai, every year to Australia. You kind of miss that. But overall, I just want to play enjoy a little bit. It could be my last year, maybe like my last two years on court.So I just want to play a little bit more if my body lets me.”
Asked whether she could see herself playing into her 40s like some of her peers, Pliskova was emphatic. “Definitely not,” she replied. “I think still this year, I want to play and I missed a year and a half. I think that also gave me some time to be away from tennis. So I’m happy to be back but definitely not planning to play eight more years.”
Even once she retires though, Pliskova expects to remain involved in the sport. “Commentating could be an option. My sister does it. I think I definitely want to stay around tennis. I also have my own academy. So I would love to spend time with the kids there. Maybe a podcast or just to follow a little bit tennis. Even when I was away, I followed a lot of tennis. Just to be around tennis, hat’s the plan for sure.”
