DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

February 20, 2025

Karolina Muchova

Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium

Press Conference

K. MUCHOVA/M. Kessler

6-3, 1-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Karolina, great fight today. Tell us about your day.

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Thank you very much.

Yeah, was really tough battle. Big fight today. Ups and downs like a roller coaster match. I think she brought unbelievable level. I honestly didn't know much about her before this tournament. I think if she keeps going this way, she's going to go up with the rankings.

I'm just glad that I managed to convert the important points in the match and that I won the last point.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How rare is it to be in the third round of a 1000 and be against someone you're that unfamiliar with?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Yeah, I mean, she beated great players, so... She beated Coco yesterday and Amanda in the first round. That's impressive.

Yeah, I was trying to see some videos of her, how she played. My coach saw her yesterday. I knew it's going to be very tough match. It's always little tricky to play someone you don't know much about.

But yeah, I managed.

Q. Obviously there was an incident in Emma's match yesterday. You went to console her. Talk from your perspective how strange the incident was. Did you notice anything happening?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Yeah, it was strange situation. I honestly went for my serving. I didn't even know something was happening. Then I saw she's not on the other side. So I went to check with the referee what is happening. She told me what is happening.

Yeah, obviously you don't want to see these things to be happening to anyone, to any woman, any girl. So I was just trying to be there, maybe calm her down a little bit.

I'm happy they solved it pretty fast. I think she was fine after a while. Then we just kept going with the match.

Q. This is raising concerns about safety. Have you ever had any scary situations with fans at tournaments? How do you feel about the security in general?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: I didn't. I'm lucky around me it's nice fans usually. Yeah, I wasn't in the situation. Again, I felt sorry for her and for anyone who has to go through this.

Obviously there are people texting us after matches all the time. Sometimes not the nicest messages. But never happen to me that someone would like actually approach me live.

Yeah, I guess I'm lucky it didn't happen to me.

Q. What is your target for this season?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: My goal for this season? Well, the cliché goal is to stay healthy and to just play throughout the whole season. For sure consistency is the big key for me, to bring the good level or the fighting spirit. Just go up in the rankings and kind of be consistent on the tournaments and make good results week by week.

Q. Your high rank is No. 8. Your level now is up for the ranking 8 or top 5 maybe?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: I don't know. I don't know. I mean, I didn't play this time last year. I was injured. I have no points to defend in coming weeks. If I will play great, I mean, I can go up with the rankings.

The goal for me is really to be consistent, to improve my game. I think that comes hand in hand with the ranking.

Q. You didn't play in Doha. Was that a decision based on something physical or scheduling?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: Yeah, I had little troubles with my leg in Linz. I decided to take a week off. It was needed.

Q. Kessler, she's 56 in the world, has two titles. What impressed you the most in her game?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: She's really great mover. I think she was just smashing it left, right. She played really fast sometimes from positions which she was able to put on the other side. I think she played with some great players. Of course, she beated great players in the last few days.

Yeah, all over the game, she played a lot through her first serves, as well as putting pressure on my serve. So I'm impressed overall.

Q. Talking about not being able to play Dubai last year because of injury. Generally you have missed large chunks of the seasons because of injuries. Is there anything you've learned from those times in terms of prevention to lessen the chance of that happening again or just bad luck over the years?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: It's funny. I actually realized last year on this day I had a surgery. Time really flies that I'm here now in quarters, and I'm really grateful for that.

Yeah, I'm trying all the time, doing all the exercises, trying to strengthen the body and all that. But there are certain things that you can't really protect I'd say as well. The way I play, I think I stretch a lot. I play in awkward positions. I think I go a little bit over the limit here and there, like I never go like that in the practice.

Yeah, but for sure I'm trying. I know my weaknesses in my body, what can be painful. I'm trying to just strengthen it up. It's a daily work.

Q. Many Czech players on the WTA Tour. What's the secret?

KAROLINA MUCHOVA: We have really good food in Czech. That's the main thing for us (smiling).