The Spaniard Garbiñe Muguruza, former world number 1 (in 2017) and winner of two Grand Slam titles (Roland-Garros in 2016 and Wimbledon the following year), announced on Saturday that she was ending her career, after more than a year away from the courts. “The time has come to say goodbye. It has been a long and successful career, but I feel that the time has come to retire,” the 30-year-old, whose the last participation in a WTA circuit tournament dates back to the end of January 2023.
“It’s a decision that I matured little by little,” she explained, adding that the “recent months have been decisive”. “After quitting, I returned home and took full advantage of the rest. I felt better with each passing day and I did not miss the discipline and constraints of the life I had left behind,” she added. commented the Spaniard.
Native of Venezuela
The native of Venezuela, whose last claim to fame was a final victory at the Masters at the end of 2021, made this announcement ahead of the Laureus sports awards ceremony, scheduled for Monday in Madrid, the foundation with which she will play in the future an ambassadorial role. “Garbiñe can celebrate a career that most players can only dream of having,” reacted former American champion Martina Navratilova, quoted in a press release from Laureus, a foundation of which she is also a member.
“You have been a role model since I was little. Thank you Garbi for giving so much to Spanish tennis,” her compatriot Paula Badosa, current player on the WTA circuit, also commented on her X account.
Fuiste el espejo donde me mire desde pequeñita. Gracias Garbi por dar tanto al tenis español. It’s a place to continue these years. Feliz vida, te lo motheres @GarbiMuguruzapic.twitter.com/bMJT60OPeq
— Paula Badosa (@paulabadosa) April 20, 2024
Winner of Roland-Garros and Wimbledon
During his 10 years at the highest level, Garbiñe Muguruza, whose coach included former champion Conchita Martinez, won ten titles in total. Her last appearance before she moved away from the courts dates back to January 2023, at the WTA 250 tournament in Lyon (defeat in the first round).
She had previously experienced a difficult 2022 season, finishing the year beyond 50th place (55th) for the first time since 2012. In Grand Slam, in addition to her two titles at Roland-Garros and Wimbledon, the Spaniard reached the final of the Australian Open at the start of 2020.