"It was weird when you don't want someone to win": Karolina Muchova admits rooting against Maria Sakkari to boost WTA Finals chances

Karolina Muchova stated that she didn't want Maria Sakkari to win in China to secure her spot in the WTA Finals in Cancun.

With the 8 qualifiers for the WTA Finals already determined, Karolina Muchova had to wait until the last moment to find out if she would be participating in the end-of-year tournament.

Greek player Sakkari won the WTA 1000 Guadalajara Open and, despite an inconsistent season, managed to get into contention for a spot in the year-end event.

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With Karolina Muchova securing the 8th spot, both players were vying for the final place, which ultimately went to Muchova after Sakkari's losses in the quarterfinals of the China Open and the first round of the WTA 500 Zhengzhou Open.

Former French Open champion revealed that she was watching Sakkari's match in China and deep down hoped that she would lose to ensure her own spot in the Finals. However, she acknowledged that it felt strange to wish for one of her rivals to lose:

"In China, we were all locked in a hotel. We were watching Maria’s match. I don't wish anyone to lose, but it was strong for us at that moment. Maky knew at that point that she could fly home from China. I made the same decision a few days later. We were happy, and we congratulated each other and hope to see each other in Cancun."

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The Czech tennis player also expressed her delight at qualifying for the tournament for the first time in her career and emphasized that despite not having the ideal preparation, she hopes to give her best performance in Cancun:

"The tournament of champions is the icing on the cake. Finishing the season in the top 8 is a stroke of luck for the whole team. The preparation is not 100%, but I am on the court a lot, although not always with a racket. We are preparing in good condition and in every possible way.”