Karolina Muchova fought back from a set down to reach the Qatar Open final.
She trailed Maria Sakkari 3-6, but refused to be beaten, coming through to win in three sets, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Advancing to the Championship match, Muchova will play Victoria Mboko, who defeated Jelena Ostapenko in the earlier semifinal.
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Mboko and Muchova have never met before on the WTA Tour.
With that in mind, Muchova was asked for her thoughts on Mboko during her semifinal post-match interview.
Karolina Muchova says Victoria Mboko is playing ‘amazing’ tennis
“I just finished this match!” said Muchova.
“I didn’t think about it yet. I didn’t have time to think about it!
“But obviously, she is having an incredible week.
Victoria Mboko at the 2026 Qatar Open
- 2026 Qatar Open 1R [WIN] vs Marie Bouzkova, 7-5, 6-2
- 2026 Qatar Open 2R [WIN] vs Vera Zvonareva, 6-4, 6-4
- 2026 Qatar Open 3R [WIN] vs Mirra Andreeva, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5
- 2026 Qatar Open QF [WIN] vs Elena Rybakina, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4
- 2026 Qatar Open SF [WIN] vs Jelena Ostapenko, 6-3, 6-2
“She’s playing amazing… Everyone is playing great at this stage of the tournament.
“It’s going to be a tough battle.
“It’s pretty late again, so I will try to get to bed as soon as possible, get all the strength I can, and bring good tennis tomorrow.”
She’ll be confident going into the final, having produced a miraculous comeback to beat Sakkari.
“I just tried to play every ball, just tried to fight and believe in the turnaround,” said Muchova.
Maria Sakkari vs Karolina Muchova – Match stats
| Stats | Maria Sakkari | Karolina Muchova |
| Aces | 0 | 4 |
| Double faults | 3 | 1 |
| 1st Serve % | 63% | 64% |
| Winners | 16 | 24 |
| Unforced errors | 35 | 37 |
| Break points | 4/10 | 6/17 |
| Total points won | 77 | 85 |
“She played incredible, she was pushing me to the limits, it was tough to find a spot where she was not there, it was very tough.
“I’m happy I was able to turn it around. Thank you to the people for cheering us on; it helps a lot to get the energy from the crowd.
“It’s amazing, that’s why I play, and to be in the final, to be here in the final for the first time here, it’s amazing, I’m just very happy!”
It’ll be Muchova’s first Qatar Open final, but not her first at the WTA 1000 level…
Can Karolina Muchova win her first WTA 1000 title?
Muchova has played two previous WTA 1000 finals, but came up short on both occasions.
- 2023 Cincinnati Open F [LOSS] vs Coco Gauff, 3-6, 4-6
- 2024 China Open F [LOSS] vs Coco Gauff, 1-6, 3-6
Luckily for Muchova, she won’t have to play Coco Gauff this time around!
Regardless of the result in the final, it’s an impressive feat just making it this far.
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Sky Sports commentator Melanie South echoed that sentiment.
“Simply incredible,” she said.
“You think she hasn’t been to a 1000 level final all of last season, since Beijing the year before, it must mean so much to her.
“She was battling not just against the emotions of trying to achieve that once again, but the physical effect.
“For [Maria] Sakkari, a fabulous week, two top 10 wins, wasn’t able to complete the job and keep going
- 2026 Qatar Open 2R – Maria Sakkari defeated (WTA #8) Jasmine Paolini
- 2026 Qatar Open QF – Maria Sakkari defeated (WTA #2) Iga Swiatek
“Muchova is through to the final.”
Only time will tell if she can finally win her first WTA 1000 title in Qatar, but you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action.
Muchova will play Mboko in the 2026 Qatar Open final on Saturday, February 14.
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