Coco Gauff was one point away from a Wimbledon final. One point. She had match point in the third-set tiebreaker, serving to a crowd that was ready to erupt. And then Karolina Muchova happened.
The Czech veteran, who has spent years fighting through injuries and rankings slides, didn’t flinch. She saved that match point, kept clawing, and eventually closed out the tiebreak 12-10 to win 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10) on Thursday. It was the kind of ending that leaves you staring at the TV a few seconds after the handshake, still processing.
Muchova will face either Marta Kostyuk or Linda Nosková in Saturday’s final. For Gauff, this one is going to sting for a while.
A grass-court career highlight, but a brutal loss
Gauff, 22, has never been entirely comfortable on grass. Her baseline-heavy game, built on heavy topspin and two-handed backhands, doesn’t always translate to the low, skidding bounces of Wimbledon’s lawns. Her semifinal run here is actually her best result on grass in her career, which is both a milestone and a bitter consolation prize.
Last year she lost in the first round. This year she was a few points away from a Grand Slam final. Tennis can be cruel like that.
She came out roaring in the first set, breaking Muchova early and racing to a 6-2 win. Then the second set flipped entirely. Muchova started chipping and charging, forcing Gauff to hit passing shots under pressure, and suddenly it was 6-1 the other way. The third set became a tension-filled grind with no breaks of serve, and tiebreakers are where Muchova has always thrived. Her game has a chaotic, unpredictable edge that makes her dangerous in those moments.
Gauff had her chance. She had match point at 6-5 in the tiebreak, with her own serve. But Muchova ripped a return winner down the line, and the momentum swung for good.
What’s next for Gauff
She’s still one of the most accomplished players of her generation. She’s won 11 Grand Slam singles titles — including the 2023 US Open and the 2025 French Open — and she’s held the world No. 1 ranking. But Wimbledon remains the one that got away so far.
Gauff first played here in 2019 as a 15-year-old qualifier, beating Venus Williams in the first round before reaching the Round of 16. She made the second week again in 2021 and 2022, then fell in the third and fourth rounds the last two years. This semifinal is progress, but progress doesn’t feel like much when you’re that close to the final.
She’ll head next to the U.S. Open, which starts August 30 in New York. Hard courts have always been her best surface. And if there’s any player who knows how to bounce back from heartbreak at a major, it’s the one who won her first one after crying on the court the year before.
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