BBC's Martina Navratilova in tears live on air as Wimbledon break protocol

Wimbledon made an exceptional break from tradition as two-time champion Petra Kvitova played her final match at the All England Club. Prior to the tournament, the ex-world No.2 had revealed her plans to retire after the US Open later this year.

Granted a wildcard for Wimbledon, Kvitova faced a challenging first-round opponent in No. 10 seed Emma Navarro. Despite an initial lead, Kvitova was defeated 6-3 6-1, an outcome that moved BBC commentator Martina Navratilova to tears.

In a departure from standard practice, the on-court interviewer announced that Kvitova would be given the chance to address the crowd, despite not winning the match.

As Kvitova and Navarro met at the net, Navratilova, also from the Czech Republic, was visibly emotional as she honoured the 35 year old retiring player, reports the Express.

"It's hard for me to talk right now, she's just such a nice person on and off the court, a role model everywhere," Navratilova said, overcome with emotion.

Kvitova acknowledged the audience's applause as she crossed Court 1 to retrieve her towel. She stayed on for a final interview on Wimbledon's second-largest showcourt.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sure you're all aware, our normal protocol is to interview the winner. But on this special occasion, the last appearance in the main draw for two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, Petra, we'd like to give you the opportunity for a few words," Rishi Prasad declared.

Addressing the crowd, the two-time Wimbledon champion expressed her gratitude: "Hi everyone, thank you very much for the beautiful atmosphere you made today, it was very special to play on this beautiful court. Congrats Emma on the win, good luck, I wish we could play a little bit longer but okay, whatever!".

She shared her sentiments about returning to the prestigious tournament: "To have another chance to play one more time here, it means a lot to me. This place holds the best memories I could wish for. I never dreamed of winning Wimbledon, and I won it twice, this is something very, very special."

Kvitova also acknowledged her feelings about leaving the sport and the tournament: "I will miss Wimbledon for sure, I will miss tennis, I will miss you fans, but I'm ready for the next chapter in my life as well. I can't wait to be back as a member which is still very unreal for me, to come back here and see all you guys again."

Returning earlier this year after welcoming her first child and taking a 16-month break, Kvitova paid homage to those who had supported her through her career.

Amidst laughter, she humorously mentioned her coaches: "I didn't have many tennis coaches through my career. My first one was my dad, who is here today as well, and my last one is my husband."

Sending love to her dear ones in Czech, the winner of numerous tour titles gave her thanks to her friends, family, and team members before Navarro took the opportunity to speak to both Kvitova and the audience.

The 10th seed expressed admiration for her opponent, saying: "Petra has had an amazing career and I told her at the net it was a pleasure to play her today. It was a little surreal to look across the court and see her over there serving bombs at me. I don't think you've lost any speed on your serve!"

She continued with respect, saying: "It was a bit intimidating at times and I just want to say congratulations for all you've done in this sport. Good luck for the rest of the year and wherever this life takes you when you're done here, best of luck."

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