Tennis courts are supposed to be sanctuaries where athletes can focus entirely on their craft. But for Karolína Muchová, her second-round US Open match became something entirely different when she spotted a familiar face in the crowd that shouldn’t have been there.
The Czech star’s visible distress and tearful pause revealed a darker side of professional tennis that goes far beyond missed shots and lost points.
Karolína Muchová Has Alleged ‘Stalking’ by Ex-boyfriend Amid US Open Match
Muchová revealed that her ex-boyfriend, whom she said had a history of appearing “at places where he shouldn’t be,” had seated himself directly opposite her bench. The Czech world No. 13 and two-time US Open semifinalist had to pause her second-round match against Sorana Cîrstea on Thursday after becoming visibly upset. She wiped away tears and apologized for the delay before resuming play.
Explaining the incident afterward, she said, “Well, it wasn’t tennis-related. So I don’t really like talking about it. But opposite my bench, my ex-boyfriend sat down. He sometimes shows up at places where he shouldn’t be. That startled me a bit. I told him to leave, he didn’t, but later he did go. It was hard to focus in that moment.”
However, Muchová did not report the man to the WTA or US Open security before or after the match. Players can request that certain individuals be excluded from their matches, but Muchová did not make such a request.
Despite the disturbing situation, Muchová managed to advance through the tournament. On Saturday, after beating her countrywoman Linda Nosková in the third round, she again commented on the matter: “Yeah, I’m alright. I didn’t make any report and everything is good… I mean, who knows [if it will happen again], right? I don’t know, so… Yeah, I feel okay.”
Muchová will face No. 27 seed Marta Kostyuk in the fourth round on Monday. The incident underscores a recurring issue in women’s tennis, where athletes are uniquely vulnerable to “fixated” individuals due to the sport’s individual nature, high visibility, and open access.
Emma Raducanu Also Faced Harassment From a Stalker at Wimbledon
Muchová’s experience isn’t an isolated incident in women’s tennis. Emma Raducanu faced a similar situation earlier this year at Wimbledon, when a man with a restraining order for harassment in Dubai attempted to attend her match.
Fortunately, the All England Club’s security system blocked the individual’s attempt to enter the public ballot. This came after a particularly disturbing incident during Raducanu’s match at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February, when she broke down in tears after noticing the man in the crowd who had followed her to four straight tournaments.
The same man had approached her in a coffee shop the day before, handing her a letter and asking for a photo. He was subsequently removed from the venue, issued a restraining order by Dubai police, and his details were shared with tennis authorities.
Raducanu described the emotional toll of seeing her stalker in the crowd: “I saw him in the first game of the match and I was like, ‘I don’t know how I’m going to finish’. I literally couldn’t see the ball through tears. I could barely breathe. I was like, ‘I need to just take a breather.'”
These incidents highlight the unique challenges female tennis players face, where their individual sport status and high public visibility can make them targets for unwanted attention that crosses into harassment and stalking behavior.
