Karolína Muchová’s Grand Slam Journey at Roland Garros 2023: Finalist and Ranking Rise

Update: 10.06.2023 21:31
Issued by: 10.06.2023, 18:16

Paris – Tennis player Karolína Muchová did not end her Roland Garros campaign by winning the premier Grand Slam title. The 26-year-old native of Olomouc lost on the Paris clay in two hours and 49 minutes to defending champion and world number one Iza Šwiateková from Poland 2:6, 7:5, 4:6. She thus did not follow up on Barbora Krejčíková’s triumph the year before and Hana Mandlíková’s victory in 1981.

“I’ll try to keep it short because it’s a bit emotional,” said Muchová after the match on the court, who couldn’t hold back tears when her name was called. “It was close but at the same time far. That just happens when you play against the best like Iga,” she added.

Thanks to the best Grand Slam result of her career, Muchová moves from 43rd place in the world rankings to 16th position, which is her new high. He collects 1.15 million euros (27.1 million crowns) for participating in the final. Šwiateková, who dominated the tournament for the second time in a row and the third time overall, will receive a double bonus. The Polish woman also won her fourth final at the “big four” tournaments, losing a set for the first time.

Coach Emil Miške’s protégé lost in the Roland Garros final, just like Markéta Vondroušová four years ago or Lucie Šafářová in 2015. “I also want to thank everyone in my box. When I look at all those people, I feel like a winner. I believe that this is just the beginning and we still have a long way to go,” said the Czech tennis player.

Muchová did not start the jubilee 50th Grand Slam match ideally. Right at the start, she lost her serve and Šwiateková ran to a 3:0 lead. The tennis player of I. ČLTK Praha improved later, but did not use a break point in the fifth game. The native of Warsaw did not offer her another chance and after another break she won the first set in 45 minutes. The Pole made only five unforced errors in the first set, Muchová had 14 of them.

Both players went to the background for a while before the start of the second set. At that moment, statistics also played a role for Šwiateková. After winning the first set on clay in the WTA events, she failed only once in 54 matches, against Muchová in Prague four years ago.

The Czech tennis player did not even enter the second set. Šwiateková regained the break first and led again 3:0. However, Muchová was able to come back, in the fifth game she broke her opponent’s serve, and the Pole began to have problems with her improved game. She couldn’t hold serve from 4:4. Muchová did not serve the set for the first time, in a thrilling finale full of excellent shots from both sides, she already used the third set point. Šwiateková lost a set for the first time in the tournament.

Encouraged, Muchová took a 2-0 lead in the deciding set, but the 22-year-old Pole soon responded. The Czech tennis player still had a chance. Thanks to a break in the seventh game, she led 4:3 and served. However, Šwiatek responded again, not letting Muchová take the lead and holding a key serve in the ninth game when she parried another break point.

Subsequently, Muchová failed to serve at 4:5 and ended the duel with a double fault when averting the first match point. Šwiateková was able to grab her head with joy. She became the first tennis player since 2007 to defend her triumph at Roland Garros. The Belgian Justine Henin managed to do it last time.

“I congratulate Karolína. I knew it would be a tough match and I hope you will get to many more finals,” said Šwiateková. “We’ve already won this tournament, but it’s not easy. Being on tour for two weeks like this is difficult. But it’s not just about performance,” added the Polish tennis player.

Dodig and Krajicek dominated the doubles

Croatian Ivan Dodig and American Austin Krajicek won the doubles title at Roland Garros. In today’s final, they beat the Belgian duo Sander Gillé and Joran Vliegen 6:3 and 6:1.

Thirty-eight-year-old Dodig and Krajicek, six years younger, played the final of the Paris Grand Slam for the second time in a row. Last year they lost to Marcel Aréval from El Salvador and Jean-Julien Rojer from the Netherlands.

Dodig claimed his seventh Grand Slam success. In men’s doubles, he triumphed at the Australian Open the year before and at Roland Garros in 2015, and recorded the remaining triumphs in the mix. Krajicek won the title for the first time at the big four tournaments.

tennis French Open final Muchová Šwiateková