Karolina Pliskova accused Marketa Vondrousova of retiring against Karolina Muchova because she didn't think she had a chance of winning the match, and it didn't sit well with the 2023 Wimbledon champion at all.
Last week, Muchova routed Vondrousova 6-4 6-3 in an all-Czech battle in the Ningbo first round. After the Tokyo draw was released, it was revealed that the two Czech tennis players would meet again. Just as she did in Ningbo, Muchova made a fast start and quickly went 6-2 1-0 up. And after around 50 minutes of play, the 26-year-old Czech retired from the match, citing an injury.
Pliskova, who returned from ankle surgery in late September, is again sidelined after taking part in three matches across two tournaments.
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Pliskova: Vondrousova saw that she had no chance against Muchova and gave up
"I saw both of Karolina Muchova's and Marketa Vondrousov's matches that were played in recent days. It's never nice to play against the same opponent twice in a row. You simply don't want that. They both train at Stvanice, they're friends. It was especially unpleasant for Marketa. She's now lost to Karolina in Tokyo, Ningbo and even a big match in Indian Wells," Pliskova said on a Czech tennis podcast.
"Today, for me, Marketa had absolutely no chance, I give Karolina credit, she played excellently. And again, off topic: Sorry, but I think it could have been finished today. For me, it's similar to Tomas Machac in Shanghai. Maybe Marketa was hurt, but I think that Marketa saw that she had no chance and gave up the match for this reason. I'll probably get another round of criticism, but give it to me."
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Vondrousova, who surgically fixed her shoulder last year but remains bothered by the issue, was left stunned after hearing about Pliskova's take.
"Anyone who has ever played with an injury knows that sometimes you just can't go on. I'm doubly aware of this after shoulder surgery. I don't understand why someone who should understand it the most is questioning this," Vondrousova wrote in a message posted on her Instagram Story.
Vondrousova started her 2025 season in time, but missed action for three months between February and May. Overall, it has been a challenging year for the 26-year-old Czech.
