The Czech player is the big sensation of this Roland-Garros and will play her first Grand Slam final.
You may not have known her, but Karolina Muchova is now a Roland-Garros finalist. In a complicated game of the table, the Czech achieved the first big blow of the fortnight by eliminating the Greek Maria Sakari in the round of 16 in straight sets. Irina-Camelia Begu (27th) and Elina Avanesyan (134th) were swept away, as was 2021 finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Faced with Aryna Sabalenka this Thursday, June 8, Karolina Muchova has again raised her level of play to eliminate the world number 2 and offer herself a first final.
“I’m pretty well tired, but I have a day off the courts tomorrow (Friday). So I’ll try to do my best to recover. I’ll hopefully feel good on Saturday. What’s going on? for sure, I will have to fight. I will have to play my best tennis and get out what I can of myself, the best in myself, play a perfect match to be able to win a Grand Slam . I don’t think I’ll be the favourite. Today, for example, it’s very close. You never know, within a ball, if we win or lose. It’s good to see that I I have a chance to win and win against the best players. Of course, that gives you extra confidence.”
Since a young age, Karolina Muchova has had an idol, Roger Federer. His game, very forward, is a kind of homage to the Swiss. “I loved his game, I learned a lot watching him, she explained at the press conference. I was inspired by his slices, his volleys. Everything, I loved everything.” The player also appreciates the cushioning and variations, a true tennis identity. “I think that’s always been with me. I’ve always loved competition and variety in my game. If you watch videos of my matches when I was young, you can see me varying my shots already then.
Karolina Muchova is also known for her numerous injuries, particularly in 2022, on the Suzanne-Lenglen court, where she left the court in tears and on a wheelchair, forced to retire in the third round against American Amanda Anisimova. after twisting his right ankle.
At the highest level quite late, Karolina Muchova won only one title on the circuit with the Korea Open. She also has a quarter-final on the grass at Wimbledon and a semi-final at the Australian Open by overthrowing local and world number 1 Ashleigh Barty in the quarter-finals.
The Czech is currently 43 in the ATP rankings. But with her good run at Roland-Garros 2023, the player should do well in the standings.
