She won't be back in Paris this year for another run to the final, but 2023 Roland Garros finalist Karolina Muchova shared good news with tennis fans this week: She's back practicing after undergoing wrist surgery earlier this year.
"Kinda missed this feeling," Muchova wrote on her social media channels alongside a video captioned "Life recently," which captured her hitting on an indoor hard court.
The Czech, who upset Maria Sakkari and Aryna Sabalenka along the way to her first major final last spring, has been sidelined since losing in the semifinals of last year's US Open to Coco Gauff with a recurring right wrist problem. Muchova, 27, had previously communicated other updates surrounding her injury to fans via her social channels, including her withdrawal from the Australian Open in January and her subsequent surgery the next month.
The injury put a cloud on what was a breakthrough 2023 for the Czech, which also saw her reach her first WTA 1000 final in Cincinnati, break the Top 10 and qualify for the season-ending WTA Finals in Cancun, though she was forced to withdraw from that event.
"So here I am, tired and sad, but I know I'll be OK now," Muchova wrote on social media in February after her procedure. "The surgery was successful and I'm gonna do all I can to see you on the court again soon."
Muchova was one of three players who would've otherwise qualified by ranking to pull out of Roland Garros this year at the time of the initial entry list last month. Joining her are Belinda Bencic and Petra Kvitova, both of whom are pregnant and are on maternity leave.
When Muchova will return to Hologic WTA Tour competition is unclear, but as the grass-court season looms after Roland Garros, and she is a two-time quarterfinalist at Wimbledon.