Karolina Muchova experienced an emotional moment during her match at the U.S. Open last week. The world’s No. 13 player paused in tears after spotting her ex-boyfriend in the crowd while playing against Sorana Cîrstea. This incident occurred during the first set when Muchova was serving. She froze, gestured toward the stands, and wiped her face with a towel. After apologizing to the umpire for the interruption, she resumed play despite her visible distress.

In a post-match press conference, Muchova explained the situation. "Well … it wasn’t tennis-related," she said in Czech after her victory over Cîrstea, with a score of 7-6, 6-7, 6-4. "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."

Following her next match, a win against fellow Czech player Linda Noskova, Muchova addressed the incident again. "Yeah, I’m alright. I didn’t make any report, and everything is good," she told reporters. When asked if she was confident that a similar situation wouldn’t happen again, she replied, "I mean, who knows, right? I don’t know."

Tournament rules allow players to block certain individuals from obtaining tickets or credentials, but Muchova has not made such a request. Although she did not express feeling threatened by the man, the USTA emphasized the importance of player safety. A representative stated, "Player safety is a critical element of our planning and execution for the US Open," adding that security teams collaborate with federal and local law enforcement to ensure a safe environment and monitor potential threats.

Despite the emotional turmoil, Muchova continued to perform well on the court. On Monday, she defeated Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine with a score of 6-3, 6-7, 6-3, advancing to the quarterfinals of the tournament. Her next match is scheduled against Naomi Osaka of Japan.