Czech players clash! Kvitova accuses Vondrousova of being a sore loser, and the latter immediately fires back.

Recently, Czech star Vondrousova strongly responded to fellow Czech Pliskova. Previously, Pliskova criticized her for "retiring mid-match equals giving up" during the Tokyo tournament against Muchova. Pliskova thought Vondrousova could have persevered, but Vondrousova stated she was competing with an injury and was unable to carry on.

On Monday, October 20, Vondrousova faced Muchova in a first-round Czech derby in Tokyo. The 8th seed Muchova was in strong form, taking the first set 6-2 and winning the opening game of the second set. At this point, Vondrousova’s left shoulder pain worsened, and she deemed it unwise to continue, choosing to retire.

After the match, former world No.1 Pliskova criticized Vondrousova’s mid-match retirement on the Czech tennis podcast "Rakety." She mentioned Vondrousova had lost to Muchova multiple times before and said: “She lost again to Karolina in Tokyo, and previously in Ningbo and even at Indian Wells. Today, in my view, Marketa had no chance. I admit Muchova played very well. But off-topic, sorry, I think this match could have been finished. To me, it’s similar to Mahach’s situation in Shanghai. Maybe Marketa was injured, but I feel she retired because she saw no chance of winning.”

Vondrousova was clearly displeased with Pliskova’s remarks. The former world No.6 and 2023 Wimbledon champion fired back on Instagram Stories: “Anyone who has truly played injured knows sometimes you just can’t go on. I’ve had shoulder surgery myself, so I understand this better than most. I don’t get why someone who should understand this the most would question it.”

Vondrousova also seemingly mocked the "Rakety" podcast by tagging its official account along with Pliskova’s and writing: “This podcast is truly the ‘winner.’”

In August 2024, Vondrousova decided to undergo surgery due to a chronic shoulder injury. She withdrew from that year’s US Open to focus on the operation and recovery. The Czech star returned early in the 2025 season at the Adelaide International. However, her shoulder issues persisted, significantly affecting her performance in multiple key WTA events and Grand Slams.

In March this year, Vondrousova posted an injury update on social media: “I have to step away from the court again as I’m still battling my shoulder injury. Although it’s tough, I’m about to begin several months of intense training and rehab to get my arm back to normal.” Due to recurring injuries and frequent withdrawals, her world ranking has dropped out of the top 30.

Previously, Vondrousova strongly rebutted Brad Gilbert, Coco Gauff’s former coach, after he sharply criticized her US Open withdrawal due to injury. She had been scheduled to face Sabalenka in the quarterfinals but announced her retirement before the match.

Vondrousova’s withdrawal was reportedly due to a knee injury that occurred just hours before the match. The 2023 Wimbledon champion felt knee discomfort during warm-up and made the painful decision to withdraw. However, Gilbert deemed her retirement “unreasonable.”

Upon hearing about Vondrousova’s withdrawal, he said on "The Served Podcast," which he co-hosts with Roddick: “It’s really strange; some players pull out in the third or fourth round, but the situation isn’t that bad—they play doubles the next day or return the following week. If that’s the case, there should be a rule: if you retire, you shouldn’t be allowed to compete the next week.”

At that time, Vondrousova was extremely angry at his comments and sarcastically responded on Instagram Stories: “Might as well hand out sodas to injured players, I find it disgusting too, Brad.”(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Spark)