Roland-Garros, Grand Slams, injuries, Czech: Everything you always wanted to know about Karolina Muchova (but never had time to find out) – updated after 2024 Beijing final

Who is Karolina Muchova?

Karolina Muchova is a Czech tennis player who been ranked as high as No 8 in the world. She is a former Roland-Garros runner-up and has made the semi-finals of the US Open and Australian Open.

What is Karolina Muchova’s playing style?

Karolina Muchova has one of the most inventive game styles on the WTA Tour/. The Czech regularly serves and volleys but mixes up her game from the baseline, with changes of pace and spin. Her backhand slice is one of the best shots in the game and she is accomplished at the net.

what did MUCHOVA do at the 2024 us open?

Muchova made it to the semi-finals of the 2024 US Open, marking the fourth time she had advanced that far at a Grand Slam. She also reached the semis in New York in 2023.

Muchova’s most recent US Open run came with victories over Katie Volynets, Naomi Osaka, Anastasia Potapova, Jasmine Paolini and Beatriz Haddad Maia. She eventually lost to Jessica Pegula 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.

What Did Muchova do at the 2024 Palermo Open?

Muchova, who was sidelined due to injury from the 2023 US Open until the start of the 2024 grass season, reached the final of the 2024 Palermo Open, which was only her third tournament back since that injury lay-off.

She was defeated by top seed and defending champion Qinwen Zheng 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 in the final.

What did Karolina Muchova do at the 2023 French Open?

By beating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5, 6-2, Karolina Muchova reached the semi-finals of Roland-Garros for the first time, and then with a 7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 7-5 victory over Aryna Sabalenka got through to her maiden Grand Slam final.

She took world No 1 Iga Swiatek to a deciding set in the final, but lost 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 – and finished the match on a double fault.

She had previously reached the last four of the 2021 Australian Open.

What did Karolina Muchova do at the US Open in 2023?

Karolina Muchova reached the semi-finals of the US Open for the first time in her career, losing 6-3, 7-5 to Coco Gauff in that last four match. The Czech has now made the quarter-finals or better in all four Grand Slam events.

Muchova qualified for the season-ending WTA Finals in 2023 but had to withdraw prior to the event due to an ongoing wrist injury. She was replaced by first-alternate Maria Sakkari.

How old is Karolina Muchova?

Muchova was born on August 21, 1996, in Olomouc, in the east of the Czech Republic. She now lives in Prague.

Who are Muchova’s parents?

Muchova’s father, Josef Mucha, is a former professional soccer player. He notably played for the Czech club SK Sigma Olomouc. Her mother’s name is Hana Muchova. She has a brother, Filip, a professional soccer goalie at SK Prostejov.

How tall is Muchova?

Muchova is 5 ft 11in (1,80m) according to the official WTA website.

Who is Muchova’s coach?

On her website, Muchova (in Czech and English) indicates that she was coached from March 2020 by David Kotyza, who had long worked with Petra Kvitova, a two-time Wimbledon champion (2011 and 2014). Kotyza also coached Caroline Wozniacki and Karolina Pliskova. He was not present in the Czech’s box during the 2021 Australian Open, unlike her physiotherapist Asier Sanchiz Belamendia and Czech player Barbara Stefkova.

Since April 2023, she has been coached by Emil Miske, who shares duties with former Belgian player Kirsten Flipkens. In 2023, she explained to journalists, “We always communicate a lot about practices and we make plans together. It’s not like he would really tell me to play this or that. So he always leave that on me…So we are just trying to play this in the practices, just to be focused on the point and go with the first thought. It’s tough to work on this, but discipline for sure helps, to have discipline as well, like everywhere, and then to put it on the court, yeah, that I could for sure be better disciplined. Yeah, we’re working on it!”

She talked a little more about her approach to practice ahead of the US Open in 2023: “I changed the whole team and I think we are all on the same kind of page, which is nice, and they kind of support me in that.”

How do you say her name?

You can hear Karolina Muchova herself pronounce her name on the WTA website. In English, it sounds similar to “MOO-HO-VA”.

What tournaments has Muchova won?

Karolina Muchova has one WTA singles title to her record, having lifted the trophy at the 2019 Seoul event (here is the tournament draw) after beating Magda Linette in the final. A few months earlier, she had lost in the Prague final to Jil Teichmann. She has won two tournaments on the ITF secondary circuit — in Michalovce (2014) and Sharm-el-Sheikh (2016). She also reached two WTA 1000 finals, in Cincinnati in 2023 and in Beijing in 2024, losing both times to Coco Gauff.

How has Muchova performed at Grand Slams?

At the 2021 Australian Open, Muchova achieved her best Grand Slam result by reaching the semi-finals for the first time. As the No 25 seed she beat Jelena Ostapenko and Mona Barthel before producing three especially superb performances against No 6 Karolina Pliskova, No 18 Elise Mertens, and No 1 Ashleigh Barty. She fell to Jennifer Brady in the semis.

She reached the final at Roland-Garros in 2023, beating Aryna Sabalenka before falling to Iga Swiatek in a tight final. Muchova reached the semi-finals at the US Open in 2023, knocked out by eventual champion Coco Gauff, and in 2024, defeated by Jessica Pegula.

At Wimbledon, her best performance has been reaching the quarter-finals on two occasions, in 2019 and 2021.

What is Karolina Muchova’s best win?

Muchova’s three-set success against world No 1 Ash Barty in the 2021 Australian Open quarter-finals is the best victory of her career to date. Trailing 6-1, 2-0, Muchova managed to overcome the top-seeded Aussie and rallied to reach the semis of a major for the first time. She has also defeated Aryna Sabalenka three times and owns two wins over compatriot and friend Karolina Pliskova, the former world No 1.

Is Muchova on the CzechIA team for the Billie Jean King Cup?

As of July 2024, Muchova has a 2-1 singles and 1-1 doubles record in the Billie Jean King Cup while representing Czechia. She is in the team for the upcoming BJK Cup finals in November 2024.

How much money has Muchova earned on tour?

Muchova has earned $8.2 million in prize money, in singles and doubles on Tour, as of October 6, 2024. You can find her up to date earnings on her official WTA profile page.

Is Muchova on social media?

As of October 6, 2024, Muchova has more than 20,000 followers on X (Twitter). On Instagram she is very active with more than 182,000 followers. More than 25,000 people like her Facebook page. She also has a website in two languages, Czech and English.

What are Karolina Muchova’s hobbies?

Karolina Muchova is keen on music and plays the guitar, although she says she is not necessarily a great musician.

“I can play a few chords,” she told journalists at Roland-Garros in 2023. “With guitar, if you know, I don’t know, five to seven chords you can play almost all the songs. So I for sure enjoy it. Yeah, it’s a hobby for me.”