“I have to be humble,” Garbine Muguruza introspects her poor form and plots her comeback post first round Australian Open defeat
The former World No.1 will have to start look to have a fresh start after being knocked out of the Australian Open in the first round
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Garbine Muguruza in action
Garbine Muguruza endured another Grand Slam humiliation as she crashed out of the 2023 Australian Open on Tuesday in the first round. The former World No.1, who was a finalist at the 2020 edition, lost to Belgian Elise Mertens 3-6,7-6(3),6-1.
This continues a streak of bad form for the Spanish player who is now 0-3 in singles in 2023. The tennis star admitted as much as she gave her thoughts on the match to Spanish paper Marca. “The defeat is hard because I have had the moment to close the game and I have not done it. It is difficult to accept that you lose in the first round of a ‘Grand Slam’. I knew I was going to suffer. I was affected by a combination of nerves and exhaustion in the third set,” Muguruza said.
Muguruza also spoke candidly about the problems she has been facing winning matches recently. “I’m having a hard time closing matches in straight sets and that makes my opponent feel like they can come back. My opponents are getting stronger. I have to find a way to be more competitive right now.”
“I’ve already had several games accumulated in which I start well and then I have to close with the decision that victories give you. Clearly it’s been a while that by not converting those moments they become difficult,” Muguruza stated.
The player has had a tough time in the last two years. Muguruza hasn’t won a singles match on tour since September of last year. She was knocked out in the first round of both the Adelaide International 1 and 2 as she seemed to struggle with the conditions in Australia. The Spaniard will look to build her confidence and find her previous level again with a long year ahead.
Garbine Muguruza’s glory years
Things weren’t as bad for Garbine Muguruza a few years ago. The Spaniard was in the finals of the Australian Open as recently as 2020. Muguruza first made her mark on the WTA tour when she reached the Wimbledon final in 2015 after defeating a seeded player in every round. She lost that match to Serena Williams but it was a sign of things to come.
Muguruza turned a poor season around to reach the 2016 French Open final. She won in straight sets in a rematch of her previous major final against Serena Williams. It was the first Grand Slam title of her career and she rose to World No.2. The following year, Muguruza was back in the Wimbledon final. This time she got the better of Venus Williams to lift the trophy. She reached No..1 status that year but couldn’t finish the year in that position.
Muguruza finished the 2022 season out of the top 50 rankings for the first time since 2013. On this fall, she said,” It’s clear that everyone likes to play the finals and the big tournaments, but now I have to work humbly and go unnoticed to climb again.” She also revealed her plan for the year ahead. “My goal [this year] would be to play the tournaments that are in the Middle East, but it is true that I will have to make a calendar that is suitable for my ranking. If I cannot play there, I will look to play other tournaments of a lower category to win matches that give me confidence. I will It’s important to keep playing. I have time to rest and train,” Muguruza revealed.
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Samarth Srivastava
(139 Articles Published)