Karolina Muchova beats Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina to win Shot of the Year

Karolina Muchova may have missed out on a title in 2025, but she has beaten Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina and other top players to win the WTA Shot of the Year.

In February, Muchova bamboozled Denmark’s Clara Tauson in Dubai with a ridiculous tweener lob. She executed the shot to perfection, sending it over an approaching Tauson during a rally in the fifth game of the second set during the high-stakes Dubai Tennis Championship semifinals.

After a fine serve down the line, Tauson dropped it short at the net and the Czech reached the ball scrambling. Tauson then tossed a volley that she chased down at the baseline and lobbed it from between her legs while running in the opposite direction to win the point and the applause.

Though Muchova lost that match after three competitive sets, she received 32 percent votes for the shot and outperformed seven other entries in the WTA’s official poll for best shot of the year.

The closest anyone came to her was Elena Rybakina, whose cross-court forehand pass against Jessica Pegula on game point in the WTA Finals last-four battle secured 22 percent votes.

Third best was Jasmine Paolini. She received 10 percent votes for a forehand pass down the line during the Cincinnati Open final against Iga Swiatek.

Ons Jabeur ranked fourth for a backhand volley in Brisbane International with 9 percent votes. Taylor Townsend tied Jabeur for an off-camera forehand at Indian Wells with same percentage of votes.

Muchova occupied fifth place as well for a cross-court backhand winner in Tokyo. Aryna Sabalenka matched her in fifth position for a fiery forehand in Italian Open. Both shots received seven percent votes in WTA’s poll.

Linda Noskova finished last for a forehand winner down the line in Bad Homburg. She received four percent votes in the ballot.

Karolina Muchova ended her previous season in October after the Ningbo Open, where she was forced to retire in semifinals against Mirra Andreeva. She suffered a back injury and pulled the plug on the match while trailing 6-2, 1-0.

The Czech player started the new season at the United Cup. She helped her side reach the semifinals, where the USA beat them 3-0.

She then flew to Melbourne for the Australian Open but couldn't go past the second round. She bounced back from the disappointing result by reaching the semifinals in Linz and Dubai back-to-back.

At the French Open and Wimbledon, the 29-year-old lost to unseeded opponents in the first round but picked up form again at the US Open. She opened by defeating Venus Williams and went past Sorana Cirstea, Linda Noskova and Marta Kostyuk in subsequent matches. Her campaign ended with a straight-set loss to a spirited Naomi Osaka in the quarter-finals.

Muchova finished her season with a loss to Belinda Bencic in the quarterfinals of the Japan Open.