Karolina Muchova was left in tears during her second-round match at the US Open, not because of her opponent, but due to the sudden appearance of someone from her past. The World No. 13 spotted her ex-boyfriend in the crowd a person she said she did not expect, nor wanted, to see.
The unsettling moment occurred while Muchova was serving at 1-4 down in the first set against Sorana Cirstea. Mid-service, she froze, gestured toward the stands, and broke into tears. Despite the emotional turmoil, the 29-year-old Czech star managed to hold her serve and then quickly ran off-court to grab a towel, attempting to compose herself. She returned apologizing to the chair umpire for the delay.
Karolina Muchova in tears
Muchova revealed the reason behind her distress in her post-match comments. The Czech star, while speaking post-match, said, “Well … it wasn’t tennis-related. Opposite my bench, my ex-boyfriend sat down. He sometimes shows up at places where he shouldn’t be. That startled me a bit. I told him to leave, but he didn’t, but later he did go. It was hard to focus in that moment.”
Past Incidents of Women's Tennis Players Facing Trouble
This is not the first time troubling personal encounters have disrupted women’s tennis. Just this summer at Wimbledon, Emma Raducanu broke down in tears during her match against Muchova, after spotting a man who had previously harassed her in Dubai and was under a restraining order.
Raducanu revealed later that she was overwhelmed and could barely continue playing. She said,“I couldn’t see the ball through tears. I could barely breathe.” That man was later banned from the All England Club's ticket ballot, in a bid to prevent further incidents.
In 1993, tennis was rocked when Monica Seles, then 19, was stabbed in the back by a deranged fan during a match in Hamburg—an attack that altered the trajectory of her career.
Former world No. 1 Martina Hingis has also spoken out about being followed from hotel to hotel by obsessive men during her teenage years on tour. In 2011, a man claiming to be Serena Williams’ "husband" was arrested after trying to access her Florida home, prompting tighter personal security measures for the Grand Slam legend.
