Karolina Muchova Opens Up On Wimbledon Heartbreak, US Open Goals After Dream Grand Slam Season

Karolina Muchova is on a solid run in Grand Slams this year. The 30-year-old Czech star finished runner-up at the Wimbledon. At the US Open, Muchova partnered Jakub Mensik and went on to win the mixed doubles title. In the women's singles, Muchova has stormed into the third round after two straight-set wins. In an interview shared exclusively with NDTV by JioStar, Karolina Muchova talked about her campaign this year.

Question: Karolina, you arrive here, in terms of Grand Slams, having come off the back of a Wimbledon final. Obviously, not the result you wanted there, but what did you learn from that experience of going all the way through another Grand Slam to the latter stages, and what might you bring from that to this event?

Karolina Muchova: Yeah, I think now it's been a while, so I was, in the first few days, obviously a little bit sad and trying to absorb it, I would say. But now, looking back, I take it really positively. I think it was a great result. I played against so many good players and got the kind of confirmation for myself that I can still make it to those finals and, yeah, just compete at that level. So, looking back, it was a positive tournament. A final at Wimbledon is something huge. And then it's tennis, so you just switch and focus on another goal. And the other goal is here, at the US Open. I'm super happy to be here and excited to play again.

Question: You talk about being back here in New York, such a special tournament. So many players love to come here each year. What is it that you look forward to about returning to New York?

Karolina Muchova: I just love the city. I love Manhattan. Every time I land, I have a bit of jet lag, so I wake up at 5:00 or 6:00 AM. I just look forward to taking a coffee and walking through Central Park and, you know, feeling that New York vibe and lifestyle, I would say. So, yeah, I feel like you can do so many things, such as Broadway shows and nice dinner spots. It's about trying to focus on tennis and all the work when I'm at the tournament and then, when I go back, taking energy from the city as well and kind of balancing that out.

Question: The mixed doubles was obviously a different way to prepare for a Grand Slam, a little bit of an unusual preparation week, maybe, but it went super well for you. How much did you enjoy the experience? And how much do you feel it's going to give you an extra boost or extra preparation for the singles?

Karolina Muchova: Yeah, I already played it last year, and I thought it was a really great format. As I talked with others as well, everyone loved it. It's nice to spend some time and play actual matches on the biggest stages here. Overall, it was great fun. We enjoyed it. And then, yeah, we actually won it, which couldn't have ended up better. So, yeah, I would say it really couldn't have been a better start to the US Open for me and Jakub.

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