Karolína Muchová

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Karolína Muchová
Muchova RG19 (14) (48199152057).jpg
Muchová at the 2019 French Open
Country (sports) Czech Republic
Born (1996-08-21) 21 August 1996 (age 25)
Olomouc, Czech Republic
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Turned pro2013
PlaysRight-handed (two-handed backhand)
CoachEmil Miške (2017–2019)
David Kotyza (March 2020–)
Prize moneyUS$ 3,160,708
Singles
Career record228–110 (67.5%)
Career titles1 WTA, 2 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 19 (17 May 2021)
Current rankingNo. 22 (13 September 2021)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian OpenSF (2021)
French Open3R (2021)
WimbledonQF (2019, 2021)
US Open4R (2020)
Doubles
Career record33–29 (53.2%)
Career titles1 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 222 (16 August 2021)
Current rankingNo. 224 (23 August 2021)
Last updated on: 21 August 2021.

Karolína Muchová (Czech pronunciation: [ˈkaroliːna ˈmuxovaː]; born 21 August 1996) is a Czech professional tennis player. She has a career-high singles ranking of world No. 19. Muchová has reached two finals on the WTA Tour, winning one title, the International-level Korea Open in 2019.

Muchová officially turned professional in 2013.[1] She first rose to prominence at the 2018 US Open, defeating world No. 12 and two-time Grand Slam champion, Garbiñe Muguruza, in the second round. The following year, Muchová would reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at Wimbledon by upsetting world No. 3 and tournament favourite Karolína Plíšková. At the 2021 Australian Open, she reached the semifinals by defeating world No. 1, Ashleigh Barty, but then lost to Jennifer Brady.

Early life and background[]

Karolína Muchová was born on the 21st of August 1996 in Olomouc.[2] Her father is former Czech footballer Josef Mucha.[3] He introduced her to tennis at the age of seven. She also has a brother, with whom she did many sports when they were kids. Since there were tennis courts near her home, she decided to pick up a tennis racquet, and then when she was about 12, she chose tennis over handball.[4] She moved to train in Prague in 2019.[2][4] She stated that her tennis idol growing up was Roger Federer.[1] She struggled with a lot of injuries during her junior years.[4]

Professional career[]

2013–18: Breakthrough[]

Muchová at the 2018 US Open

Muchová began playing on the ITF Women's Circuit in October 2013 at the age of 17. Her first tournament was a $10K event in Dubrovnik, where she reached the second round.[5] In July the following year, she won her first ITF title in Michalovce, Slovakia. She then started to produce low-performances until March 2016, when she won her second singles ITF title at the $10K event in Sharm El Sheikh, and two weeks later another event at the same venue.[6] In July 2017, she reached the final of the $75K event ITS Cup in Olomouc, losing there to her countrymate Markéta Vondroušová. She then made her WTA Tour main-draw debut at the 2017 Korea Open after defeating two low-ranked players, and then lost in the first round of the main-draw to Priscilla Hon.[5] She made her main-draw debut at a Grand Slam event at the 2018 US Open winning three qualifying matches. After winning her opening-match against Dayana Yastremska,[7] Muchová upset two-time major champion and 12th seed Garbiñe Muguruza in the second round to score her first top-20 victory, advancing to the third round of the tournament.[8] In the third round, she lost to Ashleigh Barty.[9]

2019: First Wimbledon quarterfinal, first WTA title, top 30 debut[]

Muchová at the 2019 French Open

She started the 2019 season with a first-round loss at the Australian Open, losing to Karolína Plíšková.[10] She then at the Premier-level Qatar Open made her first WTA quarterfinal, after defeating Samantha Stosur and Hsieh Su-wei, but then lost to seed No. 4, Elina Svitolina.[5][11] At the Miami Open, she debuted at the Premier Mandatory level-tournaments. She was eliminated in the second round by Angelique Kerber.[12] Her first WTA final came at the Prague Open, where she lost to Jil Teichmann.[13] Her performance was enough to take her for the first time into the top 100 of the WTA rankings.[14] In June, she beat Anett Kontaveit to reach the second round of the French Open,[15] where she lost to Irina-Camelia Begu.[16] In July, she reached the quarterfinal of Wimbledon, beating third seed, countrywoman and namesake Karolína Plíšková 13–11 in the final set of their fourth-round match, which lasted over three hours.[17] She became the first player to reach the quarterfinals at her Wimbledon debut since Li Na in 2006.[18] In the quarterfinal, Muchová lost to Elina Svitolina.[19] She followed this with quarterfinal at the Bronx Open and third-round of the US Open, where she was beat by Serena Williams.[5][20] Her maiden WTA title came at 2019 Korea Open, where she defeated Magda Linette in the final.[21] Muchová then continued with good results, reaching semifinal of the Premier-level Kremlin Cup, where she lost to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.[22] At the end of the year, she debuted at the WTA Elite Trophy with success in her round-robin group, defeating two Americans, Sofia Kenin and Alison Riske,[23] but later lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinal.[24] After that, she finished the year as world No. 21. As of February 2021, this remains her career-highest singles ranking.[14]

2020: Mixed results[]

In 2020, Muchová produced rather mixed results. She reached the second round of the Australian Open for the first time in her career. There she lost to CiCi Bellis in straight-sets.[25] She then played for the first time at the Qatar Open, where she also recorded her first win over Magda Linette,[5] but lost to seed No. 7 Kiki Bertens in the second round.[26] After the six month suspension of the WTA Tour due to COVID-19 pandemic, she first played at the Cincinnati Open. There she beat qualifier Ann Li in the first round,[5] before she lost to Naomi Osaka.[27] Muchová's best performance of the season came at the US Open, where she beat Venus Williams,[28] Anna Kalinskaya, and Sorana Cîrstea[29][30] to reach her first round of 16 there but then lost to Victoria Azarenka.[31] By the end of the year, Muchová reached only the first round of the French Open and the second round of the Ostrava Open.[5] However, she spent the whole year inside the top 30.[14]

2021: Australian Open semifinal, top 20 debut, second Wimbledon quarterfinal[]

Muchová reached the semifinals of the 2021 Australian Open, beating world No. 1, Ashleigh Barty, but lost to Jennifer Brady in three sets.

After reaching the quarterfinals of the 2021 Mutua Madrid Open defeating 2nd seed Naomi Osaka and 16th seed Maria Sakkari, her first showing at the WTA 1000 quarterfinal level, Muchová reached a career-high of World No. 19 on 17 May 2021. Two weeks later in June, her good form continued when she got to the third round of the 2021 French Open also for the first time in her career.

Seeded 19th at the 2021 Wimbledon Championships Muchová reached the quarterfinals for the second time, defeating 30th seed Paula Badosa. Muchova was only the third woman in Wimbledon history to reach the quarterfinals on her first two appearances at the event (2019 and 2021).[32][33]

The 22nd seeded Muchová was ousted in the 1st round of the 2021 US Open by Sara Sorribes Tormo in straight sets, 6-2, 7-6(3). [34]

Playing style[]

Muchová preparing for backhand shot

Muchová is an aggressive all-court player, possessing an intelligent game with exceptional variety. She has powerful groundstrokes from both wings, using both her forehand and backhand to hit winners from any position on the court. She has been praised for her ability to incorporate softer shots, such as drop shots, lobs, and sliced backhands, into her game, constantly breaking up the pace of baseline rallies, and being able to hit winners with these typically defensive shots. She possesses a strong serve, with her first serve peaking at 110 mph (177 km/h) and averaging 103 mph (165 km/h), allowing her to serve aces frequently; she also possesses a second serve that, despite averaging 83 mph (134 km/h), possesses a high amount of topspin, meaning that it can be deployed effectively without being attacked by aggressive players. Muchová is also proficient at defending her second serve. Her footwork, speed, and anticipation allow her to be one of the strongest return players on the WTA Tour. As a result of her exemplary fitness, she is capable of sustaining long rallies, and is an effective counterpuncher, extending rallies until she can create an opportunity to hit a winner. Due to her doubles experience, Muchová is a strong net player, and is one of the strongest volleyers on tour, frequently approaching the net to finish off points. Throughout 2019, her breakout season, she was praised for her style of play by Mats Wilander, who stated that she could "achieve great things". With her on-court demeanour, fluid style, grace, and variety, she has been compared by some commentators to Justine Henin and Roger Federer.[citation needed]

Endorsements[]

Muchová is sponsored by Adidas for her clothing, and by Head for her rackets.[citation needed]

Career statistics[]

Main article: Karolína Muchová career statistics

Grand Slam singles performance timeline[]

Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# DNQ A NH
(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held. SR=strike rate (events won/competed)
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.
Tournament 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 SR W–L Win %
Australian Open A A A 1R 2R SF 0 / 3 6–3 67%
French Open A A Q1 2R 1R 3R 0 / 3 3–3 50%
Wimbledon A A Q2 QF NH QF 0 / 2 8–2 80%
US Open Q1 A 3R 3R 4R 1R 0 / 4 7–4 64%
Win–Loss 0–0 0–0 2–1 7–4 4–3 11–4 0 / 12 24–12 67%
Career statistics
Titles 0 0 0 1 0 0 Career total: 1
Finals 0 0 0 2 0 0 Career total: 2
Year-end ranking 208 272 145 21 27 $2,730,227

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Mastroluca, Alessandro (August 31, 2018). "Karolina Muchova's got talent: guile and power to change her career". tennis world. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Karolina Muchova Bio". WTA Tennis. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  3. ^ Němý, Miroslav (30 August 2018). "Půlnoční drama. Jak kvalifikantka Muchová složila šampionku: Je to sen" (in Czech). idnes.cz. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c Nguyen, Courtney (August 24, 2020). "Getting to Know: Karolina Muchova - 'I never had a Plan B'". WTA Tennis. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g "Karolina Muchova Matches". WTA Tennis. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  6. ^ "Karolina Muchova Singles Activity". ITF. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  7. ^ ESPN.com.br (August 30, 2018). "No US Open, Karolina Muchova 'enche os bolsos' e consegue primeiras vitórias no mais alto nível (in Portuguese)" [At the US Open, Karolina Muchova 'fills her pockets' and achieves first victories at the highest level]. ESPN. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  8. ^ Kane, David (30 August 2018). "Marvelous Muchova revels in 'perfect' Muguruza US Open upset". WTA Tennis. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  9. ^ WTA Staff (September 1, 2018). "Barty too much for Muchova in US Open third round". WTA Tennis. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  10. ^ Presse, Agence France (January 15, 2019). "Australian Open 2019: Seventh seed Karolina Pliskova through to second round with win over Karolina Muchova". FirstPost. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  11. ^ Livaudais, Stephanie (February 14, 2019). "Halep downs Goerges in Doha epic, sets up Svitolina clash". WTA Tennis. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  12. ^ Sid (March 22, 2019). "WTA Miami | Angelique Kerber KÄmpft Karolina Muchova nieder (in German)" [WTA Miami | Angelique Kerber fights Karolina Muchova down]. Eurosport. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  13. ^ WTA Staff (May 4, 2019). "Teichmann triumphs in Prague for first WTA title". WTA Tennis. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Karolina Muchova Ranking History". WTA Tennis. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  15. ^ ERR, ERR News (July 6, 2019). "Kontaveit out of Wimbledon". err.ee. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  16. ^ Livaudais, Stephanie (May 30, 2019). "French Open roundup: Siniakova stuns Sakkari, sets Osaka clash". WTA Tennis. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  17. ^ Livaudais, Stephanie (8 July 2019). "'I never played such a long match': Marathon Muchova pitch perfect in Pliskova upset at Wimbledon". WTA Tennis. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  18. ^ "Pecka, stoprocentně největší úspěch kariéry. Muchová děkovala i za prasátko (in Czech)" [Pecka, the 100% biggest success of his career. Muchová also thanked for the piggy bank] (in Czech). 8 July 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  19. ^ WTA Staff (9 July 2019). "Svitolina stops Muchova to reach first Grand Slam SF: 'It's something special'". WTA Tennis. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  20. ^ WTA Staff (August 30, 2019). "Purple reign as Serena rules Muchova at US Open - 'I knew what she could do'". WTA Tennis. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  21. ^ Macpherson, Alex (September 22, 2019). "Muchova storms to maiden title in Seoul: 'I'm very happy to hold a trophy'". WTA Tennis. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  22. ^ WTA Staff (October 19, 2019). "Pavlyuchenkova masters Muchova to reach third Moscow final: 'It's amazing to be back'". WTA Tennis. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  23. ^ WTA Staff (October 25, 2019). "Muchova battles past Kenin to make Zhuhai semifinals". WTA Tennis. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  24. ^ WTA Staff (October 26, 2019). "Sabalenka slips past Muchova into Zhuhai final". WTA Tennis. Retrieved December 7, 2019.
  25. ^ Drucker, Joel (January 22, 2020). "Told she'd never play again, CiCi Bellis responds with Third-Round run". tennis.com. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  26. ^ Bairner, Robin (February 24, 2020). "Clinical Bertens sees off Muchova to move through in Doha". WTA Tennis. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  27. ^ WTA Staff (August 24, 2020). "Osaka overcomes Muchova in Cincy second round". WTA Tennis. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  28. ^ Kane, David (September 2, 2020). "Muchova vanquishes Venus under Ashe spotlight". WTA Tennis. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  29. ^ Han, Don (September 3, 2020). "US Open: Karolina Muchova rolls into the third round". Vavel. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  30. ^ ČTK (September 5, 2020). "Muchová odvrátila tři mečboly a je poprvé v osmifinále US Open (in Czech)" [Muchová averted three matchwords and is in the eighth finals of the US Open]. irozhlas.cz. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  31. ^ Kane, David (September 8, 2020). "Azarenka overcomes Muchova for US Open QF berth". WTA Tennis. Retrieved December 7, 2020.
  32. ^ "Tomljanovic moves past Raducanu after retirement; Pliskova, Muchova win at Wimbledon".
  33. ^ "Former champ Kerber, top seed Barty sweep into Wimbledon semis".
  34. ^ "Muchová vs. Sorribes Tormo - R1 Highlights" U.S. Open Official Site; retrieved August 31, 2021

External links[]

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