Former Wimbledon and French Open winner retires after ‘fantastic journey’
Garbine Muguruza has called time on her career at the age of 30 with the former world No 1 saying she has achieved her biggest sporting dreams during her playing career.
The Spaniard turned professional in March 2012 and five years later she became No 1 in the WTA Rankings for the first time with the achievement coming on the back of her Wimbledon title.
Muguruza made her initial breakthrough in 2014 when she won her maiden title at the Hobart International and the following year she finished runner-up to Serena Williams at Wimbledon.
In June 2016 she won her maiden Grand Slam when she beat Williams in the Roland Garros final and the following year she defeated Venus Williams in the Wimbledon final.
Muguruza also finished runner-up to Sofia Kenin at the 2020 Australian Open and her last title came at the 2021 WTA Finals when she beat Anett Kontaveit in the showpiece match.
However, she struggled the following year and in January 2023 she announced that she would take an extended break from the sport. A few months later she indicated that she had no intention to return and that hiatus has turned into retirement.
The announcement came at the Madrid Open on Saturday.
“If, 25 years ago when I started hitting my first tennis balls, someone had told me that I would become a professional tennis player, that I would fulfil my dream of winning Roland Garros and Wimbledon, that I would become No 1 in the world and win the WTA Finals … I would have thought this person was crazy,” she said.
The former world No 1 added: “Tennis has given me a lot in this first part of my life. It has been a fantastic journey in which I have experienced unique situations. I have traveled all over the world and experienced many different cultures.
“I am tremendously grateful to all the people who have helped and accompanied me throughout this chapter, because without them I would not have been able to get here.”
Muguruza won 10 WTA Tour singles titles with her last ever match at the Lyon Open in January 2023, but while she will no longer play tennis there is no doubt she will remain involved in the sport.
“I have grown and matured in a very different way than what can be considered normal, and now I am ready to start a new chapter in my life, which will surely be linked in some way to tennis and sports,” she said.
“I hope that my collaboration with Laureus Sport for Good is the beginning of many more projects in which I can dedicate myself and help young people through sport.”
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