Two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza has announced her retirement from tennis. Muguruza announced the end of her tennis career at a press conference in Madrid on Saturday.
Muguruza hadn’t played since January 2023 and said in October last year that she had no plans of returning to professional tennis. This announcement didn’t come as a surprise and was a mere formality. She was enjoying all her breaks off the tour during her last couple of years playing, but not enjoying her actual time on tour.
She had a resurgent season in 2021, making the Australian Open final and winning the WTA finals. But she never recovered from the next drop in form and looked miserable on the court. All signs point to the fact her heart just wasn’t in it anymore.
A Hall of Fame career comes to an end
Garbine Muguruza had a great career with 10 titles, including two Grand Slams at Wimbledon and Roland Garros. She also won year-end championships in 2021 and three WTA Masters 1000 titles. The Spaniard reached the world No.1 in 2017 and is the only player who has beaten both Serena Williams and Venus Williams in Grand Slam finals. Not many players can boast of this resume.
Muguruza made the most of what she could, considering she could climb the highest of highs and lowest of lows in her game. She wasn’t the most committed player on tour, so to reach the heights she did is a testament to her natural ball-striking ability. She has been a great ambassador for Spanish tennis.
Tennis careers only last for so long. Muguruza often looked uncomfortable when things got messy on the court, perhaps feeling the pressure of her status as a big player. She’s content with that now she’s seen a proper glimpse of what life may hold outside of the court.
This is indeed sad news from a tennis perspective, but Garbine Muguruza seems to have found true happiness in other parts of life, and that’s what matters the most.
