Garbine MuguruzaLife still promises to be very busy in 2026. Her first child is expected at the end of January. But Muguruza, who officially retired from tennis in 2024 and later that year became both a television commentator and tournament director for the WTA Tour Finalsdoes not seem inclined to the easy life.
Last week, the two-time Grand Slam champion who spent four weeks as world number one was named co-tournament director of the Madrid Open. The clay-court tournament in the Spanish capital is one of six flagship mixed events at the 1,000 level, just below the Grand Slam.
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The mission of overseeing the tournament alongside compatriot Feliciano López carries a fair amount of responsibility for a former women’s world number one. For years, the Madrid Open has had a well-deserved reputation for treating women like second-class tennis players.
Its former owner, Romanian billionaire and former player Ion Țiriac, has long argued to revoke the payment of an equal price. Female players on the WTA Tour complained that they received worse on-court assignments and schedules than their male counterparts.
Sports conglomerate IMG bought the tournament from Țiriac in 2022, but the ugly times continued. That year, organizers scheduled the women’s singles final between the men’s semi-finals; in 2023, they banned women’s doubles finalists from speaking at the trophy ceremony.
The players, Victoria Azarenka, Beatriz Haddad-Maia, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff, all called the decision unacceptable. The disparity in the size of the birthday cakes given to Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka was also criticized.
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The same week as her new role was announced, Muguruza said in an interview with El Partizado de Cope that a junior player would have beaten her when she was at the top of the women’s rankings. “It’s more of a show, it has nothing to do with the Battle of the Sexes,” she said of current WTA world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka’s upcoming match with Nick Kyrgios..
Gerard Tsobanian, chief executive of the Madrid Open, said Muguruza’s appointment was not a symbolic gesture.
“We strongly believe that leadership in tennis must be built from diverse and complementary perspectives, with equal voice and influence,” he said in a statement announcing Muguruza’s appointment. “We don’t just talk about equality, we design it, we implement it and we make it visible. »
In a message on Monday, Muguruza expressed no qualms about the tournament’s past.
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“The Madrid Open has always wanted to be ahead, to take a step forward, to be a bit of a pioneer,” she said. “I think it’s a great idea to share the workload and provide the best service to ATP and WTA players.
She said she recognized it would be a significant step up from the WTA Tour Finals, with many more players to support, but that the role was particularly close to her heart as it is Spain’s most important women’s tournament. She has warm memories of this rare feeling in tennis: the whole stadium being behind her.
“It was stressful but beautiful,” she said.
The role marks the 32-year-old’s latest move in her move from on-field figurehead to off-field figurehead. That pivot came much earlier than for many players of her fame, as more and more players play into their 30s or return to the sport’s highest level after having children.
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Muguruza didn’t think it would happen so soon. It was only a few years ago that she was at the pinnacle of the sport, with seemingly many years of competition ahead of her. Having beaten Serena Williams to win the 2016 French Open, she beat Venus Williams to win Wimbledon a year later. Her quality declined for two seasons, but she started 2020 strong, reaching the Australian Open final against Sofia Kenin.
Then the Covid-19 pandemic arrived and Muguruza, like everyone else, spent six months off the tennis circuit. It took him a little time to get back into his rhythm when tennis resumed, but 2021 brought another solid season. She made four finals, won two, then captured the WTA Tour Finals title in Guadalajara, Mexico.
For Muguruza, who grew up mostly in Spain but was born in Venezuela, playing in Mexico in front of screaming crowds was pure joy. But almost instantly, everything changed. She had experienced declines after her greatest triumphs before, but this one was a little different. “A bit of an empty feeling,” she said in an interview in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, before this year’s Tour Finals.
“It was huge for me to have this opportunity,” she said. “Before the tournament, I said to myself: ‘This is mine, this must be for me.’ » But after this event, I definitely felt a drop in energy and a little bit of motivation.
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She began to wonder if this was an incident or a red flag. She began to wonder if her mind was telling her to think about what would happen after tennis. As losses and early exits piled up in 2022, the answer became clear. She began to yearn for what tennis seemed to hide from her, particularly the budding relationship that would grow from a chance encounter with a fan during a walk in midtown Manhattan to a wedding.
“That year, I was a little more mentally exhausted, and not only that, but I started to look forward to being home more and being with my family more and with my husband,” she said.
“I started prioritizing my personal life over my professional life.”
She played four matches in early 2023. She lost them all, and never played again, before officially announcing her retirement in 2024.
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Looking back, she can see how much the sport has changed and how that change has worked against her. There was more power, more speed and more movement than during his breakthrough, with the time needed to build points becoming shorter and shorter.
“You have to be ready for those quick rallies, for those big serves and two, three shots,” she said. “Before, maybe the points were a little longer. But again, it depends. Coco Gauff has a different style than Elena Rybakina.”
Who is the next star in Spain, one of the proudest and most successful tennis nations of the new century? She said she was closely monitoring Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro, the 23-year-old who Muguruza said could be on the verge of escape.
“I think something amazing is going to happen soon because she has the level. She’s been getting into tournaments but hasn’t won a trophy yet. I feel like we can see something exciting next year.”
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She also became friends with Alcaraz, the men’s world number 1 and the biggest hero in Spanish tennis today. She sought him out as soon as she arrived on tour. She said he hadn’t changed at all.
She will be taking a break from all of this for a little while for the birth of her child. But before long, it will be time to return to work. The Madrid Open starts on April 20 for the players, and for her much earlier. Then comes the WTA Tour Finals in Riyadh next November, its last edition within the framework of the agreement in force with the country. Managing Director of the WTA Tour Portia Archer said she wanted to extend itdespite strong criticism of the country’s human rights record and bringing the flagship event of women’s tennis to a relatively immature tennis nation.
“As a player, you don’t really know what’s going on behind or outside the tennis court,” Muguruza said. “I’m a lot more aware now. So many things, but it’s awesome. I’m really loving this new chapter and this whole new career now.”
This article was originally published in Athletics.
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