Karolina Muchova Halts US Open Match After Ex Appears in Crowd

Czech tennis star Karolina Muchova, currently ranked No. 13 in the world, was visibly shaken and broke down in tears during her US Open match against Sorana Cirstea after spotting her ex-boyfriend in the crowd, who she said "sometimes shows up at places where he shouldn’t be." Despite the distressing incident, she managed to regroup and win the match, later explaining that she did not file a report with tournament officials and felt safe at the venue. Muchova expressed uncertainty about whether her ex might appear at future matches and has not taken steps to block his attendance, a situation reflecting a broader concern in women's tennis about players being unsettled by unwanted individuals in the stands. The USTA emphasized the importance of player safety and noted that players can request to have certain individuals banned, though Muchova has not utilized this option. This incident follows a similar episode at Wimbledon where Emma Raducanu was emotionally affected by a man she had a restraining order against. Muchova continues her US Open campaign with a scheduled match against Marta Kostyuk in the Round of 16.