The twice Wimbledon champion suffered badly damaged tendons in her left hand after she was attacked by a knife-wielding intruder in her home in the Czech Republic in December.
But despite spending three months without touching a racket, Kvitova played in the French Open and won her first tournament back on the grass in Birmingham -- leading some to tip her for a fairytale tilt at a third title at the All England Club.
However, the dream came to an end on Wednesday with a second-round loss to 95th-ranked American Madison Brengle.
"I am home sooner than I wanted to be, but you know what? I reached my goal, to play tennis again, to play tennis at Wimbledon and to compete in the sport I love," Kvitova wrote on Instagram on Friday.
"The last six months were difficult but now I can push restart."
She told reporters after her defeat she was hoping to get back to her traditional preparation schedule ahead of the U.S. Open, which begins in late August, to make up for the lost six months on the tour.
"This is only the beginning of my new journey and I will come back stronger. See you next year, my dear Wimbledon," she wrote, with a photo of her sending a kiss to the crowd.
(Reporting by Alison Williams Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
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