Karolina Muchova was put in a somewhat awkward situation when she answered the question of whether she played like a man after her victory against Anastasia Potapova at the 2024 US Open. However, the questioning at the Grand Slam had some substance, as Chris Evert made a comment that was shared online. She said she played like a man and wanted to play like men.
Ons Jabeur took offense, saying she doesn’t understand gender stereotyping and that women can have great games even without these comparisons. Since she hadn’t seen Jabeur’s comment, she was a little confused and didn’t know how to respond:
“I don’t think I play like a man. I don’t know what to say,” Muchova said when asked by a journalist about the controversy. “I don’t know exactly what she said. But obviously I’ve been inspired by, say, Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic. I like to watch what they do. Then it somehow inspires me. I don’t think I play like that.”
Next up is Jasmine Paolini, and it’s an inspiring clash for Muchova against a player who has steadily improved and is now in the upper echelons of the rankings despite being injured.
“Well, I think it’s been a couple of years since we played. I don’t even know when we last played. So I think every week, every month, every year, you’re a different player. If you look at her results, you can see that she’s really improved a lot. I haven’t played the Slams. I’ve followed Roland Garros, and I’m a fan of hers. She did an incredible job and played the final on clay and then on grass at Wimbledon. That’s just pretty inspiring. Yes, she’s a very nice girl. So, yes, I’ve been supporting her.”
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