By: Annie Xu

The long-awaited matchup of a healthy Karolina Muchova and the women’s world number one, Iga Swiatek, has finally been granted. Muchova will face off Swiatek after she shockingly upset Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals earlier this week. Muchova had a tight match with Sabalenka. The final score being 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 7-5. Two of the three sets being tiebreakers. They played in the blistering heat for more than three hours.

Muchova was down 2-5 as Sabalenka was serving for the match. However, Muchova won Sabalenka’s service game and was able to stay in the match. After the loss of the match point, Sabalenka seemed to fall out of her rhythm, losing multiple games in a row, allowing Muchova to sneak in and take the set. Sabalenka said after the match, “It’s kind of a little bit tricky to build a point against her.”

While many consider Muchova to have a natural talent at tennis, she has not won any grand slams in her career. Why? She’s been fighting injuries since she was 19. However, at this year’s French open, she was in exceptional shape, upsetting the number 8 seed, Maria Sakkari.

While Muchova will put up a good fight, she’s up against a tough opponent. Swiatek has won this tournament in 2020 and 2022. She is infamous for her ability to ruthlessly destroy opponents on clay courts. In the French open specifically, she has never lost a set. Of the sets she wins, most of them are not close—either being a bagel, 6-0, or a baguette, 6-1. Fans have been joking around about “Iga’s Bakery” from the number of bagels and baguettes she’s had.

Muchova and Swiatek have faced off before. However, both players were not who they are today. Swiatek was ranked 95th in the world. Muchova won that match, but it wasn’t without some resistance. She won with the score being 4-6, 6-1, and 6-4. Now both players have become centuries better than before. The prospect of a healthy Muchova playing Swiatek in the French open final has long been awaited.

No matter who the winner of this match is, it is sure to draw a lot of attention from fans of both players.