Naomi Osaka declared Karolina Muchova “an amazing and dangerous player,” but also noted that she would focus on herself when she meets the Czech in a Beijing showdown.
The Japanese tennis star, who is the No. 12 seed at this week’s WTA 1000 tournament in China, defeated rising Czech star Sara Bejlek in two tight sets, 7-6 (4) 6-4, to book a round-of-16 spot.
On the other side, the 2026 Wimbledon runner-up had a much tougher day at the office, but ultimately managed to survive after completing a 4-6 6-4 6-2 win over No. 29 seed Liudmila Samsonova.
Osaka and Muchova are set to clash for the eighth time in Beijing
When Osaka, 28, and 30-year-old Muchova square off in Beijing, it will be their third meeting of the year and eighth overall.
During the summer and the grass season, they met twice. First, in the Bad Homburg final, the 30-year-old led 6-1 1-0 when Osaka retired due to an injury. Ten days later, they met again in the Wimbledon quarterfinal, with the Czech triumphing again after clinching a 7-6 (4) 6-4 win.
Going into the Beijing match, the Czech tennis star leads their head-to-head 4-3. However, it is worth mentioning that Osaka is 3-1 in their matches played on hard courts.
Osaka on Muchova: She’s an amazing player and very dangerous… She could pretty much beat anyone
Addressing her upcoming eighth battle against the Czech, the Japanese showed major respect for her rival.
“I played Karolina recently in the quarters at Wimbledon, which sucked for me, but was great for her. She’s an amazing player. She’s someone that you know is very dangerous no matter what. She could pretty much beat anyone. But I think from my end, no matter who I play I just have to focus on myself,” the four-time Grand Slam champion said.
It remains to be seen if Osaka can beat Muchova in Beijing and get her revenge for the two losses she suffered during the summer.
