US Open: Karolina Muchova achieves two sensational feats by reaching semi-finals and avoids WTA Rankings blow
Karolina Muchova earned a convincing straight-set win against Beatriz Haddad Maia at the 2024 US Open to reach her second consecutive semi-final at Flushing Meadows.
The Czech star saw off world No 21 Haddad Maia 6-1, 6-4 on Arthur Ashe Stadium in the quarter-finals of the New York major.
Muchova was ranked 52nd in the world heading into the tournament and sits 53rd in the live WTA Rankings after her stunning run to the last four.
The 28-year-old required a strong run at the US Open to maintain her ranking as she was defending 780 of her 1,128 ranking points from her semi-final result last year.
An early exit would have resulted in a considerable ranking drop given Muchova had only been able to play four ranking events and earn 346 points between last year’s US Open and this edition due to a lengthy absence for wrist surgery.
In her on-court interview after beating Haddad Maia, Muchova was asked by tennis great Pam Shriver about which other sports she played that helped her become such a great athlete.
“I was a very active kid,” Muchova explained. “When I tried something I just wanted to be that. Luckily my parents allowed me to do everything.
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“My dad and brother are footballers. It was always football, handball, synchronised swimming… everything. All the weird things. I’m sure it helped me with the moves.”
Here are some impressive feats Muchova has achieved by making back-to-back US Open semi-finals.
Reaching the semi-finals without losing a set
Muchova has progressed to the semi-finals of the US Open without dropping a set in her five victories during a stunning run so far. She is the first Czech woman to reach successive US Open semi-finals since Helena Sukova in 1986 and 1987.
The 28-year-old is the second Czech player to reach the US Open women’s singles semi-finals without losing a set in the Open Era after Jana Novotna, who accomplished this in 1994 and 1998.
Tennis icon Martina Navratilova is another Czech-born woman to achieve this, but she was representing the United States at the time.
US Open semi-finalist after winning no other Slam matches in 2024
Muchova has won five straight matches to make the US Open semi-finals after not having won a previous Grand Slam match this season.
She was beaten in the first round at Wimbledon in her only other major outing in 2024 after missing the Australian Open and French Open through injury.
Muchova is the first woman to reach the last four of the US Open after not winning another major match in the same year since Jennifer Brady in 2020.
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