As Barbora Krejcikova sat down to join the WTA Insider Podcast, she couldn't take her eyes off the tennis court in front of her. Zheng Qinwen was practicing on court ahead of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, and Krejcikova was finishing up a rather extensive 90 minutes of media obligations.
Through it all, the Czech couldn't help herself. Her eyes would unconsciously drift to the court. Watching tennis, even just a practice session, seemed to soothe her. It's understandable.
"It's great to be back," Krejcikova said, "it's great to be playing again and to be healthy -- the most important thing -- and to be at a nice tennis venue."
Listen to Krejcikova's full interview on the newest episode of the WTA Insider Podcast below:
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When we caught up with Krejcikova in April, she was in the early stages of getting back into the swing of things. After a strong finish to the 2023 season, which saw her win the title in San Diego and make the final in Zhengzhou, the former No.2 looked prime to reclaim her spot in the Top 10 this year.
It started well in Melbourne, where she made the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. But a back injury sidelined her in February, and she was unable to play for two months.
"I missed being on the tour and playing and competing and having these challenges every week," Krejcikova said. "But on the other hand, staying home and spending time with my family and being busy in a different way, both of these things are important in balancing a career."
Krejcikova spent her time away dabbling in all manner of hobbies. She started cooking and gardening and found herself falling into a few Wikipedia rabbit holes online. The time away was good for her life balance, but being on tour remains her passion.
"After every injury the journey is different. It needs a lot of patience and it's tough because you see all the girls and they're playing well. They're going deep in the tournaments and in the beginning when you're coming back, it's not really happening for you. You need to take more time and be more patient, which is difficult because you see the girls are playing and doing well.
"On the other hand I think after such injuries, tennis has a different priority. You appreciate that you can actually be on court and that you can enjoy the tennis more."
