Karolina Muchova, the gifted but injury-prone Czech, has lost her race against time to be ready for the WTA Finals. After striving in vain to overcome a wrist injury that has kept her sidelined since the US Open, Muchova said she was “heartbroken” to have to withdraw from the season-ending showpiece after qualifying for the first time.
It marks a miserable conclusion to an outstanding season for the 27-year-old, who made her first grand slam final at the French Open this summer, and backed up that landmark run by reaching a maiden WTA 1000 final in Cincinnati, a result that propelled her into the world’s top 10 for the first time.
“I am heartbroken to announce that I will miss my first WTA Finals in Cancun,” Muchova wrote on Instagram. “Together with the team and doctors we tried everything till the last moments to resolve my wrist injury.
“Unfortunately, the time needed for the recovery is longer than we would’ve hoped for and therefore I had to make this unpleasant decision. I greatly appreciate the support of all the fans. I will do my best to be back in 2024 and get another chance to be part of the WTA Finals.”
In an ironic twist, Muchova’s place in the eight-woman field for the WTA Finals will be filled by Maria Sakkari – the very player she defeated in the opening round at Roland Garros to kickstart her renascent campaign in earnest. While quarter-final appearances in Dubai and Indian Wells signalled encouraging progress for the Czech as she sought to re-establish herself following a series of injury problems, it was not until Paris that Muchova began to show real signs of regaining the form that propelled her to the Australian Open semi-finals two years ago.
An abdominal tear that necessitated a seven-month layoff interrupted Muchova’s rise following that 2021 run in Melbourne, and she had barely returned the following spring before she rolled an ankle at Roland Garros. In the months that followed she fell out of the top 100, dipping as low as 235 in the world. Yet her talent has never been in doubt, and perhaps the only real surprise of a season that also brought a first US Open semi-final is that big results have not come sooner.
Muchova’s physical frailties go a long way to explaining that, however, and the Czech will be desperate to stay injury-free next season as she seeks to take the final step to becoming a grand slam champion.