Karolina Pliskova navigates uncertain future after injury odyssey, Australian Open comeback

MELBOURNE, Australia—Karolina Pliskova can handle a little pain.

“Everyone’s used to it,” she told me at the Australian Open on Tuesday.

A little pain was all the former No. 1 had heading into the 2024 US Open. But minutes into her second round against Jasmine Paolini, a bad landing on her left foot put her into a world of hurt.

“It was very shocking,” recalled Pliskova, who is in Melbourne by the grace of a protected ranking, “and even more shocking when I got the results that I’d broken all the ligaments and tendons.”

Once one of the healthiest players on tour—the 33-year-old previously missed just one major main draw since 2013—an initial six-month break ballooned by nearly double when Pliskova picked up an infection following a surgery on her left ankle.

“The infection made things look really bad,” she said, adding color to her often-monotone staccato for emphasis. “To look at it, you would think I was going to lose the leg. Still, I wasn’t even walking after three-four months, so the original timeline became impossible.”

A second surgery was required, one that cured the infection but left the already upright Pliskova, who longed joked of a reluctance to bend her knees on the court, with a limited range of motion. Another little pain.

“The ankle is still very stiff,” she said. “and this will never get better. To be honest, it doesn’t really limit me on the court. I may not move as well, but at least it forces me to play fast!”

As Pliskova recovered she settled into life at home, traveling through Europe but largely splitting her time between Prague and Marbella, Spain. She went fishing with her parents, started a Czech-language tennis podcast with twin sister Kristyna—who is based in Madrid—and she continued to foster her eponymous tennis academy.

The academy isn’t huge, but [the coaches] are like family. They’re following my matches even though it’s night now in Czech. Everyone is waking up to follow the score. Karolina Pliskova

“It started back in COVID,” she explained of the latter. “I was at home with my sister and first started thinking of creating a camp for kids. So many hundreds of kids expressed interest, and because we were there teaching them, they absolutely loved it. So, we decided to do it again the following year. The first time was just four days; the following year, we did four weeks like that, so we started having this idea to start an academy.

“When we first started, we were renting a club, but we bought one in Prague, so we have indoor courts and built some padel courts. I actually like to play padel a lot. There’s a hotel and restaurant part of it, so it’s been a big project, and something I also want to enjoy after my career.”

Unsure of when (or if) that career would continue, Pliskova followed the sport from afar.

“At the beginning, it was difficult because when it happened and I couldn’t walk, it was just tough to see people running when I couldn’t even walk!” she said with a laugh.

The woman who once called tennis matches “better than movies” is now a critic on the *Rakety* podcast, a role that has earned mixed reviews from her fellow players. A real pain.

“Marketa [Vondrousova] was upset because I said something about how I don’t like when someone retires,” she told me. “If someone withdraws, that’s fine because maybe you’re injured, but if you’re retiring and if it looks to me like you could finish the match, that’s different. There are many people who, to me, retire from matches because they don’t want to lose and finish the match. For me, it’s a loss regardless, no matter the score. Maybe if you were up when you retire, and that’s when you see when something is really happening. But some of the injuries, I think most people can at least finish the matches.

“Look, the way I am, sometimes I say things which not everyone agrees. But that’s why people do podcasts, right? It’s all to express different opinions. Not everyone likes it. That’s fine with me.”

Pliskova enjoys unwavering support from her academy’s coaching staff, who all tuned in to watch her first match of the season.

“The team isn’t huge, but we’re like a family. Even though it’s night now in Czech, everyone is waking up to follow the score.

“It’s been a good environment, and I even train there myself. I just feel good there. There’s no stress or pressure from anyone else. There are some players who come to train with me, but I’m the owner, so if I want to spend one hour the court, that’s what I’ll do! That’s something that’s so nice, to have people around that you’ve chosen and want around you.”

It felt like just yesterday I was playing here the way I was five years, six years ago. Time here is different than when you’re at home! Karolina Pliskova on her first Australian Open in two years

For as much as tennis can change with each passing week, to see Pliskova back on Kia Arena against Sloane Stephens—reheating a rivalry that dates back to juniors—was to think she had never left.

“It felt like just yesterday I was playing here the way I was five years, six years ago. Time here is different than when you’re at home!” she joked.

The once and future “Ace Queen” struggled at times on serve but converted six of seven break points to dispatch Stephens, 7-6 (7), 6-2, and win her first Grand Slam match since that disastrous US Open. Still, Pliskova is taking her comeback day by day and, between rust and compensation injuries is reluctant to outline a schedule past the Australian summer.

“I don’t want to struggle too much,” she said with her inimitable candor. “I struggled a lot this year because of my legs. I only want to play if I’m at least 90%, if not 100%, ready. I’ll wait how I feel, and I need some time to see. When I played two matches in September, I was destroyed for two weeks. There’s no sense if I can’t play matches back-to-back. From there, maybe I can do a bigger plan. But look, here, I had a bigger plan to play Brisbane and Adelaide and I couldn’t because of the leg—the right leg because I’m leaning more on it since getting surgery on the left!

“Maybe it’ll be different decisions, maybe less tournaments. At the same time, I need matches after a year and a half of not playing. Still, no plans. Sorry!”

Pliskova laughs again and wishes me a good day as she heads to the elevator, having ended almost 45 minutes of media. There is still plenty of interest in the two-time Grand Slam finalist, her career, and what she has left to say. If there was a little pain in talking through her past, present, and uncertain future—in two languages, no less—she handled it.