The magic is gone! The Muchova rule fails, Gauff suffers heartbreak in the Australian Open quarterfinals.

Mentioning American female tennis player Gauff is no surprise to many fans, as she has claimed championships at tour events, Grand Slams, and year-end finals. Additionally, from her youth career to her professional stage, Gauff has been a notable nemesis to China’s leading player Zheng Qinwen. To date, she has beaten Zheng three times, establishing herself as one of Zheng’s fiercest opponents.

However, few might know that throughout many of Gauff’s title-winning runs, there was one particular player she had to overcome first. After defeating this player, Gauff went on to claim the championship. So, who exactly is this player? At which tournaments did Gauff beat her opponent and win titles? And will Gauff face this player again at the 2026 Australian Open? Today, this article will take you through these questions.

This player is Czech Muchova, who in June 2023 made a breakthrough by reaching her first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros. Although she lost a grueling three-set final to Poland’s Swiatek, Muchova achieved a new career milestone. In mid-August, Muchova continued her strong form at the WTA1000 Cincinnati event, winning five consecutive matches to reach the final, where her opponent was none other than American Gauff.

At that time, Gauff had just hired Spanish coach Pere Riba. In the WTA1000 Cincinnati semifinals, she battled through three sets to defeat Poland’s Swiatek, securing her first victory against her rival. In the final, Gauff dominated Muchova to claim her first WTA1000 title. This final was also Muchova’s first appearance in a WTA1000 final in her career.

Following that, Muchova fought her way to the semifinals at the US Open, marking her third Grand Slam semifinal. There, she met Gauff again. Gauff won in straight sets, beating Muchova for the second time and advancing to her second Grand Slam final. In the final, despite losing the first set, she rallied to win two consecutive sets against Belarusian Sabalenka, earning her first Grand Slam championship.

At the end of September 2024, Muchova advanced to the final at the China Open, marking her second tour final appearance in the 2024 season. Her opponent in the final was once again Gauff. That year, Gauff had won her first Grand Slam women’s doubles title at the French Open. Seeded fourth at the China Open, she progressed steadily to reach her second WTA1000 final.

In this match, possibly due to the psychological edge from having beaten Muchova twice before, Gauff quickly took the first set 6-1, delivering a dominant performance. Although Muchova improved in the second set, Gauff still secured it 6-3, claiming her second WTA1000 title.

In the 2025 United Cup, Muchova’s Czech team reached the semifinals. In the women’s singles semifinal, Muchova faced Gauff for the fourth time, but once again Gauff emerged victorious. The American team defeated the Czech Republic to advance to the final. There, Gauff defeated Swiatek, and the U.S. team beat Poland to win the United Cup championship.

This week, Gauff and Muchova met in the Australian Open round of 16. This time, Muchova fought through three sets and, although she ultimately lost, won her first set against Gauff in their head-to-head history. After beating Muchova, Gauff was then soundly defeated by Ukraine’s Svitolina in the quarterfinals, marking the end of the Muchova rule’s magic.

With the Muchova rule broken, Gauff’s Australian Open journey has ended, but the rivalry between the two remains intriguing. We will look forward to new chapters in their future encounters. That’s today’s tennis story; more to come tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin Jushi)