Since suffering a devastating ankle injury at the 2024 US Open, Pliskova has undergone two surgeries and attempted a comeback last autumn. However, she played only three matches before disappearing from the scene again.
Her return at lower-tier tournaments showed her that the road back would be more complicated than it first seemed.
"There was even a moment when I thought I might never come back at all. It wasn’t just my foot that hurt- my back, my arm, everything was hurting. It just didn’t make sense," she admitted in an interview before flying to Australia, where she’ll try for another restart.
You’re heading to a place where you’ve usually done well in the past. What are your expectations for this year’s trip to Australia?
"It’s always been my favourite part of the season, I’ve always enjoyed all the tournaments there. So I’m even more excited, especially since I couldn’t be there last year.
"But I have no expectations, I’m just looking forward to it. Not just the tournaments, but the whole atmosphere. You never know when it might be your last time there. I don’t think I’d ever go back just to visit after my career is over."
What’s your tournament schedule?
"I’m starting in Brisbane, as I have most years. I’ve usually done quite well there, so I’m using my protected ranking for that tournament. Then it’s Adelaide, and finally Melbourne. So, three tournaments."
Your first comeback in the autumn didn’t go too well. Do you feel things could be better this time?
"I have to say, things have settled down a bit. Maybe I started a little too soon in the autumn. My foot really wasn’t ready, and neither was my body. Now it’s better. I got through almost all of December without major problems.
"Of course, matches are a different story, and I really miss them. I’m not under any illusions that everything will go smoothly - it might not be perfect. But I’ve trained quite a lot, even if not as much as when I was younger. Still, I believe I’m ready."
But you also mentioned you had doubts about coming back?
"Yes. I was questioning whether it was worth it. But then I gave myself a bit of space, some distance, and started training a bit differently. That’s also why I decided I wanted to give the start of the year another try."
How was your preparation different this time?
"I played a lot of practice matches, which gave me some optimism. I played twice with Ekaterina Alexandrova and also with Nikola Bartunkova. In Tenerife, I played two or three matches, including against Julia Grabher, and then in Prague with Katka (Katerina) Siniakova.
"I used to lose most of my practice matches, but this time almost all of them went well. That was a nice surprise. I don’t want to judge too much based on practice, but when I tried to come back in the autumn, I played terribly and barely won a set. Now I feel much better about it."
For a year and a half, you watched your rivals from afar. Do you think women’s tennis has changed?
"I think it’s always 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, but there are some new young faces.
"There aren’t many players now who just run and return balls - the trend is more towards fast tennis without long rallies. The game is more about power and speed, and there’s not much time to think, which could actually be a slight advantage for me."
Do you have any plans for after Australia?
"No, I don’t. Honestly, I want to wait and see how things go in Australia, and then maybe we’ll make a longer-term plan. I’ll just see how the matches go, how I feel mentally and physically, and how much I want to keep going.
"I definitely don’t want to force myself. So if I’m not physically okay, I know it wouldn’t make sense to continue."
But you still have plenty of automatic entries with your protected ranking, right?
"I know, I haven’t used any yet. I’ve also been offered a lot of wild cards, so I could play plenty of tournaments. But I really only want to play if I can do it pain-free and if I’m enjoying it."