(No. 14) Karolina Muchova def. (No. 10) Victoria Mboko 6-4, 7-5

For the first time since 2019, Karolina Muchova is a champion on the WTA Tour, defeating Victoria Mboko 6–4, 7–5 in one hour and 34 minutes on Saturday in Doha to capture the Qatar Open title. The win marked the second title of Muchova’s career and her first at the WTA 1000 level.

Muchova’s first career title came in Seoul in 2019, making this one of the longest gaps between a player’s first and second trophies on tour. Only Sorana Cîrstea (13 years) and Viktorija Golubic (eight years) have waited longer among active players. Since then, Muchova reached four finals, falling each time to elite opposition including Iga Świątek, Coco Gauff, and Zheng Qinwen.

To finally break through again, the Czech had to overcome Mboko, who was chasing her second WTA 1000 title at just 19 years old. The opening set was tightly contested, with the players level through six games before Muchova struck first, breaking for a 4–3 lead. Although Mboko fought off a set point on her serve, Muchova remained composed and closed out the set in the next game.

The second set went back and forth. Muchova applied early pressure, creating three break points at 2–2, but Mboko erased them with aggressive shot-making, including a backhand winner, a smash, and an ace. The Canadian briefly seized momentum by breaking for a 4–2 lead, but Muchova responded immediately, breaking back and holding at love to level the set. A decisive break at 5–5 gave Muchova the chance to serve for the championship, and she converted without hesitation.

Statistically, Muchova’s serve proved decisive. She won nearly 80% of her first-serve points, dropping just eight across the match, and won 55% of her second-serve points. Mboko generated only one break point and converted it, while Muchova broke serve three times. The Czech also won over 41% of her return points, exploiting Mboko’s first serve, on which the Canadian won just 57% of points. Muchova finished with a 73–61 edge in total points, reflecting her narrow but clear advantage.

With the win, Muchova is projected to rise eight spots to No. 11 in the WTA rankings, just three places shy of her career high. Mboko, despite the loss, is set to debut in the Top 10 at No. 10, becoming only the fourth Canadian woman to reach that milestone since rankings were introduced in 1975, joining Carling Bassett-Seguso, Bianca Andreescu, and Eugenie Bouchard.