The stage is set for American tennis legend Venus Williams to make her highly anticipated comeback to the US Open. The seven-time major winner, however, has her task cut out as she must move past 2023 French Open runner-up Karolína Muchová to progress to the next round.
At 45, Williams is the oldest singles competitor at the tournament since Renee Richards in 1981.
What You Need to Know About Venus Williams’ US Open Opponent Karolína Muchová
Muchová, a tall and powerful player from the Czech Republic, is currently ranked No. 13 in the world. However, she has been ranked as high as No. 8.
Time and again, the 29-year-old has proved that she is no pushover, especially at Grand Slams. She has made at least the quarterfinals or better in singles competition at all four events. At the US Open, Muchová is defending her semifinal run, having reached the stage in 2023 and 2024.
In her lone final at 2023’s Roland-Garros, she gave Iga Świątek a run for her money before losing 2-6, 7-5, 4-6.
Her solitary tour-level title win came in 2019, when she won the Korean Open. However, she has made six finals overall, including two in 1000-level tournaments.
MORE: Venus Williams Reveals What She Aims To Do at US Open 2025 Ahead of Tough Test
Muchová and Williams’ only singles encounter came at the 2020 US Open, where the former secured a convincing 6-3, 7-5 victory over the American veteran.
Interestingly, Williams faced the Czech player last week at the revamped version of the US Open mixed doubles event.
Happy birthday to youuu, @karomuchova7 🥳 pic.twitter.com/OvpxHYSfG5
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 21, 2025
The pairing of Muchová and Russia’s Andrey Rublev took down Williams and her 6’11 partner Reilly Opelka. However, the duo was eliminated by eventual champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori in the quarterfinal.
Karolína Muchová Has Called Roger Federer Her Idol
Muchová was born in Olomouc, Czech Republic to Czech footballer Josef Mucha, who introduced her to tennis at the age of seven. In 2019, she moved to Prague to train at the I. ČLTK Prague, one of the most prestigious clubs in Europe.
When discussing her inspiration, Muchová has said that she idolized 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer growing up.
Her unique playing style is characterized by an all-court game with exceptional variety, including heavy use of slices, drop shots, and net approaches. Because of her distinctive style and her admiration for Federer, some fans and media outlets have nicknamed her “baby Federer.”
Chris Evert Stoked Controversy in 2024 With Comments on Karolína Muchová
Muchová’s playing style created a massive buzz last year when Chris Evert fielded controversy for saying she “plays like a guy” during her run to the US Open semifinals.
“She plays like a guy. She wants to play like a guy. The guys have bigger serves than the women, they have better volleys for the most part, they move a little bit better,” Evert said.
The remark was criticized as gender stereotyping by players like Ons Jabeur and Nick Kyrgios, leading Evert to apologize for her “delivery” and clarify that she did not intend to offend.
Venus Williams Has Explained Why She Is Making a Comeback to Tennis
Despite battling uterine fibroids and Sjögren’s syndrome throughout her career, Williams has enjoyed one of the longest careers in modern tennis. She returned to the sport during the American hard-court swing, participating in tournaments in Washington, D.C., and Cincinnati.
Williams became the second-oldest woman to win a WTA Tour-level singles match at DC when she defeated World No. 35 Peyton Stearns. Williams has one of the most impressive careers in tennis, having won 49 singles titles and 22 doubles titles and pocketed almost $43 million in prize money.
Despite her accomplishments, Williams has pushed on and centred her comeback on enjoyment rather than pressure.
“My personal goal is to have fun, I think, right now, enjoy the moment, and not put too much pressure on myself,” she said recently on her comeback.
MORE: Venus Williams vs. Karolina Muchova Preview: Head-to-Head and Prediction for US Open 2025
Williams has previously won two singles titles (2000, 2001) and two doubles titles alongside her sister Serena Williams (1999, 2009) at the US Open.
