‘Don’t Think I Will Ever Hold a Racquet’- Former Grand Slam Finalist Makes Heart-Breaking Confession Amid Wimbledon Comeback

Karolina Muchova returns to action tomorrow after a long injury layoff! Ahead of Wimbledon, Muchova is coming with new magic on-court at Eastbourne International after a 10-month absence due to her wrist injury last year. Her struggle to come back to her form and play tennis has been nothing short of remarkable. However, even the strongest players have their moments of vulnerability, and Muchuva, a former quarterfinalist at Wimbledon, had them too. Sharing her story of a comeback, the 27-year-old player shed light on a moment when she almost lost hope of swinging a racquet ever again.

On June 23rd, the WTA Insider Podcast arranged a special episode with Karolina Muchova along with the host, Courtney Nguyen. Referring to her recovery after her wrist surgery, Nguyen asked, “How long until you could even take to the court and swing a racquet?” The former World No. 8 responded, “I had six weeks in like a full wrap until the shoulder. Then it was 3, 4 more weeks that had it until my elbow and I couldn’t move it. And then once I was able to put my hand out of the wrap it was still feeling like I was still moving with it.”

Further referring to her mindset during the immense struggle she was going through, Karolina Muchova continued, “It was crazy. In that moment I was like, okay, I don’t think I will ever hold a racquet. I don’t think I’ll ever hold a fork and eat, being really weak. It was a month or two until I held a racquet and started to do some movements with it.”

The World No. 34 had a difficult season in 2023 owing to her wrist injury after the U.S. Open tournament. The 27-year-old player who experienced a defeat against Coco Gauff in the semifinals of the event last year, has not performed in any event since that match. She was enjoying her best season in 2023 as she reached the final of the Roland Garros for the first time in her career and later also got the opportunity to perform in the WTA Finals for the first time. Unfortunately, Muchova, who withdrew from the WTA Finals, had to deal with a right wrist injury that compelled her to undergo surgery later. 

Finishing the season at World No. 8, this year, she had her surgery done. Although the Czech player also went to rehab to gain back her strength in the arm, her spirit didn’t dampen. After the surgery, she posted her picture on Instagram and wrote, “Following my injury at the US Open and an extensive rehabilitation phase, it turned out that a medical intervention was necessary. So here I am, tired and sad, but I know I’ll be okay now. The surgery was successful and I’m gonna do all I can to see you on the court again soon.” Soon, she shared glimpses of how she started recovering from the injury on Instagram after that.

Karolina Muchova shared updates on her “speedy” recovery process

Last month, Karolina Muchova shared some inspiring moments from her practice to be back on-court. Captioning it with “Kinda missed this feeling,” videos of her practice hitting balls on hard courts showed her resilience and determination to come back to tennis once again! “Life recently,” the post had another caption to it. However, that’s not it. A month prior to that, her marathon run for a charity event for children further underscored her will and strength. “Speed was secondary; what mattered was the journey we embarked on together,” she wrote on her social media post with pictures from the event.

Furthermore, she continued,  “Our goal transcended personal achievements, aiming to give every child the joy of the race and the liberating rush of the wind. Though the marathon tested our limits, it ended in a triumph of collective will, where every runner, every stride, marked a victory. A memorable half marathon for all, powered by heart.” Now, as she gears up to make a massive comeback in the Eastbourne International, fans wait to see how she reaches new height in tennis once again!