Karolina Muchova

Karolina Muchova is a Czech professional tennis player, who has competed professionally since 2013.

Karolina Muchova was born on 21 August 1996, in Olomouc, Czech Republic, to Josef Mucha and Hana Muchova. Her father is a former professional football player. She has a brother named Filip, who is also a professional footballer; playing as a goalkeeper.

Muchova played many different sports as a child. At the age of 12, she decided to choose handball over tennis. Muchova has also stated that Roger Federer was her tennis idol when she was growing up. The Czech did not break through as quickly as many other players, with injuries during her junior career being a big reason for this.

Her first two wins on the main tour came in a run to the third round at the 2018 US Open. This included a win against two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza. Her first WTA final and title came in 2019. She was the runner-up on the clay courts of Prague in May, where she lost a tight final to Jil Teichman.

Muchova took the next step at the Korea Open in September by thrashing Magda Linette 6-1, 6-1 to claim a maiden WTA title. She also reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon in 2019. Victories against Aleksandra Krunic, Madison Brengle, and Anett Kontaveit saw her in the fourth round.

Muchova won an incredible fourth-round battle with compatriot Karolina Pliskova 13-11 in the third set before falling to Elina Svitolina. Muchova did even better at the 2021 Australian Open. Wins against Jasmine Paolini, Danielle Collins, Pliskova, and Elise Mertens saw her make another quarterfinal. A sensational 1-6 6-3 6-2 triumph followed against Ashleigh Barty, but she lost a very close semifinal against Jennifer Brady.

The Czech had injury struggles in 2022. She played some of the season but not at her previous level and slipped all the way down to No. 149 at the end of the year. However, her recovery in 2023 was incredible. Muchova had an extraordinary run at the 2023 Roland Garros.

She took out the 2021 semifinalist at Roland-Garros Maria Sakkari in the opening round before winning her following three matches in straight sets. The Czech then dispatched 2021 runner-up Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarterfinal. Her semifinal was an amazing match, with Muchova triumphing 7-6, 6-7, 7-5 to set up a final with Iga Swiatek.

The two played one of the best French Open women’s finals in recent years. Muchova led 4-2 in the deciding set but could not close it out and succumbed to a dramatic 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 defeat. This was followed by a very strong North American hard-court season.

Muchova made her first WTA 1000 final in Cincinnati. Her road to the final included another semifinal win against Aryna Sabalenka in three sets. However, she lost in the final again, this time to Coco Gauff.

A third Grand Slam semifinal came just a few weeks later at the US Open. She dropped just one set on her way to that stage, but she was foiled by Gauff once again, who then went on to win her maiden Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows.

Muchova’s excellent season earned her a place at the WTA Finals, but sadly, injury ruled her out of the event. That injury also kept her out of the 2024 Australian Open.