Karolina Muchova might be a late-bloomer by the Czech Republic’s high tennis standards but she has proven that persistence is the key. A finalist in 2023 Cincinnati, Muchova is already offering great potential in this sport with her first-round performance. Hailed as the queen of comebacks, this Czechia player spills the beans about how her father has been a pivotal character in her dreams of pursuing professional tennis.

Muchova, all set to play against Jessica Pegula in the Round of 32 in Cincinnati today, has already impressed people with her performance in the Round of 64 against Dayana Yastremska, as she defeated her 7(8)-6(6), 6-2. In an interview with WTA Insider, Muchova revealed that she inherited her incredible athletic genes from her family. When asked about her reason for playing tennis, Muchova said that she and her brother played many sports when they were kids. Muchova herself played many sports till she turned 12 and then she “couldn’t make it anymore with the time” and “chose tennis over handball.”   

While speaking about her interest in tennis, Muchova revealed that her father Josef Muchov was a professional Czech soccer player in the first league. Therefore, she must have had a great ambiance in her family to embrace different sports. However, destiny had different plans for her. “I had courts 50 meters from where we lived. So I just picked up the racket and I played pretty good so I stuck with that,” Muchova said.

She received unconditional support from her father, who would act as her main mentor and coach from the beginning. On the other hand, Muchova’s mother, Hana, has also supported her daughter’s dreams to play tennis professionally. “They’re very supportive. There were some tough times, before my first US Open when I did some big prize money like two years back. It was tough because I borrowed some money to play, so then I get some pressure from family,” Muchova concluded.

However, the Czechia tennis player and her brother always looked up to their father Josef Muchov for inspiration. Muchova revealed further and said, “Well when we were kids, as I said with my brother, we were just moving. We were doing many, many things. I think he taught us how to move. We were looking up at him, going for football matches to cheer on him. It definitely gave me a lot.”

While Muchova’s father played a big role in encouraging his daughter toward sports, the Czechia player also spoke about her dedication which brought her great popularity in tennis.

Karolina Muchova says she’s “passionate” about her work

Muchova’s father has surely inspired her to take up the sport dedicatedly. However, the Czechia player’s hard work and hunger for improvement helped her significantly in her professional tennis journey.

“Honestly I don’t really remember it, but I’m always very passionate about stuff I do. So when I said it’s gonna be tennis, I was obviously going to school, but I was just always in my head was like, I’m gonna do tennis. I never had a Plan B, which I don’t know if it’s good but I was going for tennis. Thankfully it worked out,” Muchova said.

This Czechia player’s revelations showcase the benefits of having a supportive family. While Muchova made a promise with her talent in Cincinnati, her father’s athletic background was surely an inspiring factor that motivated her to play the sport with dedication. Will we see better results in her upcoming clashes?