By the time Petra Kvitova spoke to reporters following a 1-6, 0-6 loss to France’s Diane Parry in the first round at Flushing Meadows — the last tournament for Kvitova before retirement — the 35-year-old was in a good mood, smiling or laughing at some of her own answers. The tears she shed on court right after the 52-minute defeat were no longer flowing.

Kvitova, who said she came down with a case of COVID-19 a few weeks ago and considered pulling out of the U.S. Open, hadn’t expected to be so emotional on Monday.

“Since I woke up this morning, I felt it. I felt it would not be good. I couldn’t eat. I was really nervous. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t swing, I couldn’t do anything. It was really difficult,” she explained, before adding she was ultimately at peace with her decision to call it quits.