US Open Match Interrupted By Stalker Ex-Boyfriend

Thursday’s US Open action saw WTA highlight-reel machine Karolina Muchova prevail over Romanian standout Sorana Cirstea in three sets.

Early on in the match, however, while down 4-1 in the first set, Karolina Muchova appeared to be wiping away tears with her sweatband before serving. Additionally, she appeared to be gesturing to someone in the stands, prompting chair umpire Alison Hughes to ask if everything was okay.

Although it was unclear what led to the moment, many fans online theorized that she may be dealing with an injury.

After coming back to win the first set, and then punching her ticket to the next round with a big third-set, Muchova spoke with Czech members of the press, where she revealed that she was distracted by something “not tennis related.”

Express.co provided translations:

“Yeah, there was something. But, I’m happy how I managed to deal with it, because it was a bit difficult for me to focus, but I got right back in the rhythm, and I fought for every rally.”

When another reporter pressed her on the situation, Muchova explained:

“It’s not tennis-related, so I don’t like to talk about it. But, my ex-boyfriend sat right next to my box. He likes to appear at places where he shouldn’t be, and where I am. So that scared me a little bit.”

“I asked him whether he could leave. At first, he didn’t, but then he left. It was difficult for me to focus on tennis at that moment.”

So far, no word yet on how the tournament will respond; however, Heavy has reached out to the US Open for comment.

All Eyes on US Open Following Muchova vs. Cirstea Match

Following Karolina Muchova’s big post-match revelation about her ex-boyfriend popping up in the crowd, all eyes are now on the US Open’s tournament directors to see how they will respond.

Earlier this year, while (by chance) playing against Muchova, Emma Raducanu was brought to tears when she noticed her own stalker in the crowd at the WTA Masters 1000 event in Dubai.

At the time, the man had been spotted following her to multiple tournaments, and once a visibly shaken Raducanu explained the situation to the chair umpire, the man was escorted out by security, arrested, and made to sign an agreement to stay away from Raducanu.

Additionally, the man was banned from both the WTA M1000 Dubai tournament, as well as Wimbledon.

Whether Karolina Muchova’s ex winds up being hit with a similar ban, only time will tell.

Karolina Muchova Discusses Upcoming Match With Linda Noskova

Following her second-round win over Sorana Cirstea, Karolina Muchova now finds herself set to play Linda Noskova, a fellow Czech standout with whom she played doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

While speaking during her post-match press conference, as relayed by Tennis Infinity, Muchova dished on playing someone she’s become friends with:

“She is a great girl. She is funny. We got close during the Olympics, and we’re still talking. I think we have a good tennis relationship, but also outside of tennis, we stay in touch.”

During their 2024 Paris Olympic run, Muchova and Noskova reached the semifinals before falling to Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini. Along the way, the Czech duo notably defeating top-seeded American duo Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula in the second round thanks to a spectacular third-set match tiebreak.

Evan Bell Evan Bell is a sports journalist covering MMA and Tennis for Heavy.com. He has been covering the UFC since 2011, with bylines dating back to before the UFC implemented its own rankings in 2013. More about Evan Bell