Karolina Muchova runs as fast as she can up to the net to reach the ball that her opponent just hit. Luckily, she hits hard and as her opponent tries to reach it, the ball has already bounced too many times. The crowd cheers and Muchova sighs in relief as she readies herself for the next round.
Muchova is a 26-year-old female tennis player from the Czech Republic who played against Aryna Sabalenka, a 25-year-old female tennis player from Belarus. Muchova and Sabalenka were playing on Thursday, June 8th, at Roland Garros. In that match, as Muchova lunged for the ball, had banging forehands, and quickly returned, she showed just how skilled she really was.
It is not a surprise that Muchova wins. People in the professional tennis business know about her stable power, smooth strokes, sculpted physique, and flying lunges. She has the skills, technique, and confidence. Last Saturday, June 10th, she went against Iga Swiatek, the world Number 1, in a French Open Final.
“A little bit out of radar, but she always plays great tennis,” said Salabenka when talking about Muchova. “It’s kind of a little bit tricky to build a point against her.”
Although Muchova is a terrific player, she does face one big challenge-her health. She has been facing injuries since her late-teens, when a growth spurt made her grow to be 5 foot-11 which caused some back and knee issues. Now, she still goes through a series of painful injuries, which includes a sprained ankle from the 3rd round of last year’s French Open.
“Many lows, I would say, from one injury to another,” she shared after her win last Thursday. “Some doctors told me, you know, maybe you’ll not do sport anymore.” But Muchova is not giving up; she stays positive, grinding through multiple rehabilitations.
Last Saturday, Muchova went up against Iga Swiatek, a 22-year-old who won this tournament in both 2020 and 2022 and has won 13 matches in a row in Roland Garros. She won her first Grand Slam title when she was only 19 and became the world Number 1 in 2022.
Swiatek is used to winning; she has won so many sets of 6-0 (called a “bagel”) and 6-1 (called a “breadstick”) that people talk about “Iga’s Bakery” when she is on the court.
For some time last year, people said that the only player able to beat Swiatek is Swiatek because she struggles with nerves. However, Swiatek once said that she grows calmer as a Grand Slam tournament proceeds.
Muchova and Swiatek have only played once before, 4 years ago. Swiatek said that they have practiced together many times and that she often finds herself watching Muchova’s matches. “She can do anything,” she states.
The match on Saturday was intense but in the end, Swiatek won. In an interview, Muchova says, “… to call myself Grand Slam finalist, it’s an amazing achievement and, for sure, a big motivation for me to work in the future.”
Muchova is a 26-year-old female tennis player from the Czech Republic who played against Aryna Sabalenka, a 25-year-old female tennis player from Belarus. Muchova and Sabalenka were playing on Thursday, June 8th, at Roland Garros. In that match, as Muchova lunged for the ball, had banging forehands, and quickly returned, she showed just how skilled she really was.
It is not a surprise that Muchova wins. People in the professional tennis business know about her stable power, smooth strokes, sculpted physique, and flying lunges. She has the skills, technique, and confidence. Last Saturday, June 10th, she went against Iga Swiatek, the world Number 1, in a French Open Final.
“A little bit out of radar, but she always plays great tennis,” said Salabenka when talking about Muchova. “It’s kind of a little bit tricky to build a point against her.”
Although Muchova is a terrific player, she does face one big challenge-her health. She has been facing injuries since her late-teens, when a growth spurt made her grow to be 5 foot-11 which caused some back and knee issues. Now, she still goes through a series of painful injuries, which includes a sprained ankle from the 3rd round of last year’s French Open.
“Many lows, I would say, from one injury to another,” she shared after her win last Thursday. “Some doctors told me, you know, maybe you’ll not do sport anymore.” But Muchova is not giving up; she stays positive, grinding through multiple rehabilitations.
Last Saturday, Muchova went up against Iga Swiatek, a 22-year-old who won this tournament in both 2020 and 2022 and has won 13 matches in a row in Roland Garros. She won her first Grand Slam title when she was only 19 and became the world Number 1 in 2022.
Swiatek is used to winning; she has won so many sets of 6-0 (called a “bagel”) and 6-1 (called a “breadstick”) that people talk about “Iga’s Bakery” when she is on the court.
For some time last year, people said that the only player able to beat Swiatek is Swiatek because she struggles with nerves. However, Swiatek once said that she grows calmer as a Grand Slam tournament proceeds.
Muchova and Swiatek have only played once before, 4 years ago. Swiatek said that they have practiced together many times and that she often finds herself watching Muchova’s matches. “She can do anything,” she states.
The match on Saturday was intense but in the end, Swiatek won. In an interview, Muchova says, “… to call myself Grand Slam finalist, it’s an amazing achievement and, for sure, a big motivation for me to work in the future.”
