Friday in Beijing, Karolina Muchova beat Aryna Sabalenka, the second-ranked player in the world, 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-4 in the semifinals of the WTA 1000 event. This showed that she is a giant-killer once more. Muchova’s amazing record against Top 3 players now stands at 7-2 after this win.
Sabalenka’s 15-match winning streak ended with Muchova’s win. During that run, she won back-to-back titles in Cincinnati and the US Open and made it to the semifinals in Beijing. But Muchova has done well against top players in the past, so this result might not be too shocking.
A Consistent Threat to the Best
Muchova now has an amazing 7-2 record against Top 3 players after her most recent win. In her only two loses, she lost by a score of 6-4 in the third set both times. The first time was last year in the final of Roland Garros, when Iga Swiatek beat her. Muchova had a break lead at 4-3 in the last set, but Swiatek came back to win 6-2, 5-7, 6-4. In Montreal, Swiatek beat Muchova in three sets, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. This was her second loss.
Muchova’s Record Against Top 3 Players
Here is a breakdown of Muchova’s career record against Top 3 players:
- 2019 Wimbledon 4th Rd: d. No. 3 Pliskova 4-6, 7-5, 13-11
- 2021 Australian Open QFs: d. No. 1 Barty 1-6, 6-3, 6-2
- 2021 Madrid 2nd Rd: d. No. 2 Osaka 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
- 2022 Roland Garros 2nd Rd: d. No. 3 Sakkari 7-6, 7-6
- 2023 Roland Garros SFs: d. No. 2 Sabalenka 7-6, 6-7, 7-5
- 2023 Roland Garros F: l. to No. 1 Swiatek 6-2, 5-7, 6-4
- 2023 Montreal 3rd Rd: l. to No. 1 Swiatek 6-1, 4-6, 6-4
- 2023 Cincinnati SFs: d. No. 2 Sabalenka 6-7, 6-3, 6-2
- 2024 Beijing QFs: d. No. 2 Sabalenka 7-6, 2-6, 6-4
Muchova’s impressive record highlights her ability to rise to the occasion against the world’s best players, solidifying her reputation as a top contender in any major event.
