Two Time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza announces sudden retirement

Garbine Muguruza hangs up the racket after a phenomenal career.

Two Time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza announces sudden retirement

Garbine Muguruza (Image via: IMAGO)

One of Spain’s most notable names in tennis, Garbine Muguruza, announced her retirement today at a press conference in Madrid, at the age of thirty. Muguruza, who had not played a professional match in over fourteen months, was on an indefinite hiatus from the sport since last January.

She has previously been quoted saying that she was enjoying spending time with friends and family, and was not sure when she would return to the circuit. In a sudden turn of events, Spain’s leading ambassador of women’s tennis has now decided to end her professional tennis career.

Garbine Muguruza has been one of the best Spanish players ever in women’s tennis, only behind Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in grand slam titles. She has had unbelievable results on all surfaces and tournament types, with her most notable achievement being the win against Serena Williams in the final of the 2016 French Open. She also defeated the older Williams sister, Venus, at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships, clinching her second grand slam title which propelled her to the top of the world rankings later that year.

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The Spanish icon has had a stellar career in singles, winning ten titles during the period of Serena Williams’ dominance. She also has five doubles titles and has been ranked as high as number ten in the world in the category.

Muguruza announced her hiatus from tennis in April 2023 to upkeep her mental well-being, saying that she does not miss the discipline and difficulties of life on the tour. This decision of hers seems to have extended into retirement from the sport entirely now, taking the tennis community by surprise.

I feel I am ready to retire, to open this new chapter in my life.
Garbine Muguruza via press conference in Madrid

A look at Garbine Muguruza’s unbelievable record against Serena Williams

Serena Williams has been widely regarded as one of the best and most dominant tennis players in history. She was the favorite to win every tournament she decided to swing a racket in, for over two decades. This type of dominance had been unprecedented in tennis, even with the Big Three on the men’s side of the game.

Serena Williams Garbine Muguruza
Serena Williams and Garbine Muguruza (via IMAGO)

One of the few players that could pose a challenge to the great American in her prime was Garbine Muguruza. The two giants of women’s tennis have been on opposite sides of the court six times in their respective careers. One would still expect the head-to-head stat to be lopsidedly in favor of Serena, but the truth is far from it.

The two are tied at three wins apiece, with Serena never getting a set off of Muguruza on clay. Muguruza leads the clay court tally 2-0, while Serena leads their hard court encounters 2-1. Serena did win their only clash on grass courts, taking the head-to-head to an even 3-3. Muguruza remains one of the only players to have played Serena over four times and not have a negative record.

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