Iga Świątek (World No. 1) will not play in the semifinals of the US Open. The Pole lost 2:6, 4:6 to Jessica Pegula (World No. 6) in the quarterfinals in New York. Pegula’s opponent in the semifinal will be Karolina Muchova (World No. 52). The Czech player won her quarterfinal match against Beatriz Haddad Maia (World No. 22) 6:1, 6:4.
With this win against Haddad Maia, Muchova is set to repeat her performance from last year when she also reached the semifinals of the US Open, where she lost to Coco Gauff (World No. 3) 4:6, 5:7. After that tournament, the Czech player struggled with health problems, and it took her nearly a year to recover. She returned to play at the end of June this year in Eastbourne. Two and a half months later, Muchova is just one step away from the final of a Grand Slam tournament.
Karolina Muchova Talks About Support From Iga Świątek
Muchova played against Haddad Maia before Świątek’s match with Pegula, so she was asked at the post-match press conference about the potential face-off with Świątek, which ultimately will not happen. The journalist who asked the question pointed out that Muchova and Świątek had trained together before the tournament, and the 23-year-old had supported her fellow professional while Muchova was dealing with injuries.
"A match with Iga? That would have been nice. She really supported me when I had surgery. It’s always nice to have such support, especially from the world’s number one and the best player in the world," said Muchova. She added that they have known each other since one of her early tournaments in Prague.
"We played together in Prague during the COVID pandemic, and then we trained together in Warsaw last year. We’ve had some contact, and our training sessions have always been great, very intense. So yes, she is number one. It’s always a challenge to play or train with her. It’s a really nice team," Muchova emphasized.
In the US Open semifinals, Karolina Muchova will face Jessica Pegula. The two have faced each other twice before. In Dubai in February 2023, Muchova retired in the quarterfinals. In the second round in Cincinnati in August, Pegula won 5:7, 6:4, 6:2. The match will take place on the night of Thursday (September 5) to Friday (September 6).
