Czech tennis player Karolina Muchova punched her ticket to the Wimbledon final for the first time in her career Wednesday, defeating American Coco Gauff in a breathtaking three-set semifinal that lasted two hours and 35 minutes. The final score — 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (12-10) — barely captures just how dramatic the match turned out to be.
What made the victory even more remarkable is that Muchova, the tournament’s 10th seed, reportedly has a grass allergy and needs what she described as “a lot of pills, sprays, eyedrops” just to compete on the surface.
Muchova dominated the opening set, breaking Gauff’s serve in the third and fifth games. A 111 mph ace closed out the set in style. But Gauff — who had already survived four consecutive three-set matches just to reach the semifinals — was not about to go quietly.
The American seventh seed came roaring back in the second set. After failing to convert her first eight break point chances, Gauff finally broke through on her ninth attempt to grab a 3-1 lead. She broke again to go up 5-1, sending her mother into a frenzy in the player’s box. Gauff rolled through the set 6-1 to force a deciding third.
The final set was a showcase of elite tennis from both players, with powerful forehands and stunning backhands traded back and forth. Gauff had two opportunities to break for a 5-4 lead, but Muchova escaped both times and never looked back.
In the nerve-wracking match tiebreak, Muchova delivered when it mattered most — including a jaw-dropping diving volley winner and a perfectly placed lob that earned her the first match point. That chance slipped away, but she calmly converted the second when Gauff drove a forehand into the net.
Muchova’s win sets up the possibility of a historic all-Czech women’s final at a Grand Slam. Her compatriot Linda Noskova was set to face Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in Thursday’s second semifinal. If Noskova advances, it would be the first time two Czech players have met in a Grand Slam final. A Czech champion would also be the third in four years, following Marketa Vondrousova’s 2023 title and Barbora Krejcikova’s 2024 victory.
