Follow live coverage of Day 8 of the 2024 U.S. Open
NEW YORK — Karolina Muchova has clinched her spot in the tournament, creating an early contender in her best performance yet at the U.S. Open.
Muchova defeated Naomi Osaka 6-3, 7-6(5) last Thursday night in a match that was nothing short of a masterclass in play and striking. In one of the second set’s service games, Muchova maintained the lead with two volley winners, an ace and a devilish chip shot that a frustrated Osaka could only put into the net.
Osaka was not at her best but rallied in the second set and at one point threatened to overwhelm her opponent. As the packed Arthur Ashe Stadium showed, despite being a wild card, she remains one of the most attractive people in tennis. She beat No. 10 seed Jelena Ostapenko on Tuesday at the Louis Armstrong Stadium, where she also suffered a knockdown, and was tied with the world No. 1 at Roland Garros in late spring. What happened to No. 1 and eventual champion Iga Swiatek enlivened a dull first week.
There are still disappointments. Naomi Osaka said her “heart just died” when she lost and her team has already previewed the moment she returns to tennis on US hard courts.
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Muchova reached the round of 16 on Saturday, defeating Anastasia Potapova 6-4, 6-2 in another quality tennis performance. Then on Monday, she took on Italy’s Jasmine Paolini for Women’s Story of the Year. Paolini, who has reached back-to-back Grand Slam finals, plays a confident, smiling style of tennis that leans into her figure rather than trying to work around it.
Muchova defeated her 6-3, 6-3 and once again had fun on the court. After selecting one contender for the tournament’s best performance, now she has one more. Although Muchova and Osaka have had very different fortunes in New York this year, their return is a huge win for women’s tennis. Especially if they can stay healthy.
Both players are on the road to comeback this year. Muchova finally ended a nine-month absence after undergoing surgery on a serious wrist injury, and Osaka returned to the tour earlier this year after announcing her pregnancy 19 months ago. The WTA Tour is in an interesting position, with Swiatek dominating Roland Garros and Aryna Sabalenka doing the same in Melbourne, while the other two Grand Slams remain more open, The top player in women’s tennis welcomes two more contenders.
Muchova has reached the quarterfinals or better at all four Grand Slams, but her ridiculously high ceiling has been lowered by a run of bad luck with injuries.
Currently ranked 52nd in the world, the 28-year-old player from the Czech Republic is one of the best tennis players. Seven-time Grand Slam champion Justin Henin narrates Competitor In June, Muchova was one of her favorite players to watch due to her variety and imagination. Osaka echoed a similar sentiment after taking a closer look Thursday.
Karolina Muchova’s deft touch is the hallmark of her tennis game (Robert Prange/Getty Images)
“She’s very athletic. She has a lot of variety,” Osaka said. “I love watching her play and I love playing with her, even though sometimes it doesn’t go my way.”
Muchova said as she dissected her own game Competitor In an interview before Wimbledon, “That’s who I am, the way I like to play, and that’s what energizes me on the court. It’s just me. I wouldn’t want to play any other way – though Sometimes it’s too much. I’m enjoying it and I’m talking to my team and we’re trying to improve those things and I’ll try to keep doing that.
On Thursday, she said she just loves playing like this. “It’s fun,” she said.
For those less familiar with Muchova’s game, Thursday night provided a crash course. She rushes to the net and volleys with a frequency and efficiency far beyond what most players on tour are capable of. Muchova scored 13 of her 19 points (68%) at the net, serving and volleying in key moments. She also excelled from the baseline, earning the match’s first break point in the seventh game with a soft drop shot, then connecting with two thunderous forehands in Osaka’s subsequent service game. The winning serve ended the set.
Muchova and Osaka’s second-round match makes the US Open exciting after a sleepy start (Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Muchova hit some stunning volley winners late in the second set and took the match to the decider when Osaka was serving. In the tie-break, she fought back relentlessly and disrupted Osaka’s rhythm with a right hook, making a terrible mistake on match point and ending the game.
Now in the round of 16, Muchova comes from a place no tennis player wants to be. After surgery in February that damaged the part of the body a tennis player fears most, Muchova feared she might no longer be able to compete in the sport. At first, she couldn’t get out of bed or brush her teeth, but gradually her strength returned and her mood improved. It helped to attend regular concerts at home in the Czech Republic, with seeing British rock band Nothing But Thieves being a highlight.
She returned to the Tour at Eastbourne, England’s seaside turf, but withdrew after two matches to protect her wrist. She then lost in straight sets to Paola Badosa in the first round of Wimbledon. Badosa, another player suffering from injuries, said her biggest advice to Muchova is to “be patient.”
“Maybe, with another player, I would say something different, but she is so talented. Her level will come back.
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So it’s proven. Less than two months later, Muchova stunned the two-time U.S. Open champion and reached two Grand Slam finals. She reached the quarterfinals against Caroline Wozniacki or Beatrice Haddad Maia, neither of whom would have expected to see Muchova at the net.
As an unseeded player, the Czech will be a danger in the tournament draw even before he improves his ranking (Luke Hales/Getty Images)
For Osaka, as she put it, the results have yet to come during her comeback. However, her flashes at the top level are a testament to what Badosa said about Muchova’s patience and the need for time and match reps to raise the floor to match the incredible ceiling. “She’s an amazing player and I’m happy to see her back,” Muchova said after the win.
The challenge for both players now is to put together a string of good performances and improve their rankings (Muchova is No. 52, Osaka is No. 88) so that they don’t run into each other’s equals so early. of opponents in the tournament. Osaka has yet to reach the quarterfinals of any event since her return on New Year’s Eve, while Muchova has only played a handful of WTA events since her return, but she’s always been able to compete against the elite. A show of quality that doesn’t translate into a title shot. Of the nine active WTA players who have beaten five former world No. 1s at majors, Muchova is the only one who has not won a major or Masters 1000 title, according to Opta.
Whether Muchova or Osaka can win the major championship soon is not a problem. Their presence on tour is a win for tennis because the sport benefits greatly when they are on tour.
(Top photo: Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images)
