Garbine Muguruza arrived at the Laureus World Sports Awards shortly after announcing her retirement. Photo: JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images
Garbiñe Muguruza anticipates the question. She is a former world number one, French Open and Wimbledon champion, but has just announced her retirement at the age of 30. People inevitably wonder: what's next?
But the question is already starting to bother me. “People expect a great answer from me: I'm leaving tennis because I'm going to do this or that, I'm going to go into business, I'm going to develop a cookie—whatever it is,” she says. . «No. I'm retiring from tennis because I'm looking forward to being with my loved ones, traveling without tennis rackets, maybe starting a family, getting a dog. I just want to do nothing.»
This isn't all that surprising. Muguruza talked about finding a nomadic life through touring taxes. News of her retirement comes after a year's break — a decision she made after many negative results.
She traveled to the Maldives, attended film festivals and became engaged to Spanish-Finnish businessman Arthur Borges. But most of all, she realized that she doesn't miss competing. And at the same time, she had no particular desire to do anything else. But talking about it out loud remains taboo for women, she says.
“Oh my God, I feel like girl power is great, but I sometimes hate to say that I want to be at home and maybe have a family, take care of my kids,” she says, perking up. “Today it’s bad to say such things. It feels like I always have to say that I want to be a businesswoman, I will be a role model.
“My father always tells me: “Garbine, don’t forget to live life. . You don't have to be the Queen of Spain — relax.» And it’s true, all this pressure, all these questions about what you’re going to do next, and it’s just…” She raises her hands up as if to say “stop” and exhales loudly.
There is some sadness about leaving for good, but Muguruza says there is also a lot of happiness and relief. She has achieved more than many others. Born in Caracas to a Venezuelan mother and a Spanish father, Muguruza played one of the most complete games on tour. She will be remembered for her flashes of huge success, especially between 2016 and 2017 when she won both of her Grand Slam titles. She reached two more finals and also won a surprise victory at the WTA Finals in Guadalajara in 2021.
Muguruza won her second from his Grand Slam singles titles at Wimbledon in 2017. Photo: Reuters/Matthew Childs
She remains the only woman to have beaten Serena and Venus Williams in a Grand Slam final, something she is particularly proud of. . “Oh yeah, I love it,” she says. “They were my idols. For some reason, defeating them means more. The other players are amazing too, but for me beating them had the added value of winning a Grand Slam by beating Serena or Venus.”
Wimbledon was especially memorable because her long-time coach Conchita Martinez, the last Spaniard to win at the All England Club, was in her box those two weeks. They remain close and after the big announcement at the Laureus Awards in Madrid over the weekend, Muguruza celebrated with Martinez over dinner.
Meanwhile, across town this week, compatriot Rafael Nadal will compete in the Madrid Open as he tries to regain the strength of last season from his ailing 37-year-old body. The juxtaposition is not lost on Muguruza, who understands that it may seem strange for a player to retire from the sport relatively prematurely and without much fanfare. «I'm not the kind of person who could play knowing it was my last match,» she says. “I couldn’t play tennis, I was crying! It must be so hard when you are a living legend like Rafa. When you're so big, it's harder.”
Muguruza's career has had many highs, but she says loneliness has been particularly difficult for her. This is one of the main reasons for her retirement. A busy schedule is something she would change about tennis if she could. “Whether you win or lose, you go to your hotel room, close the door, and there’s no one there,” she says. «That's it. End of the day. As the years go by, you think, 'Wow, I wish I could share this madness with more people.' You don't have time to process. It's a crazy lifestyle.»
This ruthlessness was also described by Naomi Osaka and Ash Barty when Barty decided to take early retirement when she was world number one. Does Muguruza think tennis is particularly difficult for top female players? ? She shakes her head. “I've never felt this way. I am very lucky to play tennis, it is a popular sport, and we have the best sponsors, tournaments, and more prize money. I have trained alongside many other athletes from different sports and seen how difficult it is for them. They didn't have such opportunities. I thought, «Man, I don't care if I get criticized.» I'm so lucky.”
That feeling of gratitude is palpable as she begins the next steps. No, before you ask: nothing overly ambitious. Get a pug first. “I love them, I'm obsessed,” she says, smiling widely.
The 25th Laureus World Sports Awards took place on Monday 22 April in Madrid, where leading names in sport were celebrated from all over the world. . To learn more, visit www.laureus.com
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