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Garbine Muguruza, Daniela Hantuchova, and Barbora Krejcikova attended the 2024 Madrid Open women's singles final between Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.
World No. 2 Sabalenka put on a gritty display to defeat Elena Rybakina 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) in the semifinal of the tournament.
World No. 1 Swiatek, on the other hand, defeated Madison Keys 6-1, 6-3 to set up a showdown against Sabalenka.
This is the second time in a row that Swiatek is facing Sabalenka in the final in Madrid. The Belarusian beat the Pole last year to win the title. Swiatek, who is celebrating her 101st week as World No. 1, is yet to capture a title in Madrid.
This is the 10th career meeting between the top players and it was witnessed by several stars of the game.
Garbine Muguruza, who recently retired from the sport, was in attendance at the Manolo Santana Stadium. She also made an appearance during the men's semifinal between Taylor Fritz and Andrey Rublev.
During the women's final, Muguruza was in attendance with her fiance Arthur Borges, and former WTA pro Daniela Hantuchova. Also attending the final was Barbora Krejcikova.
The Czech player faced a first-round defeat in the singles format but will be playing the women's doubles finals at the 2024 Madrid Open tomorrow along with Laura Siegemund.
Garbine Muguruza received a tribute before the 2024 Madrid Open women's singles final
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Garbine Muguruza is also a Spanish citizen. She had an illustrious career which included a French Open title in 2016 and a Wimbledon title in 2017.
Further, she reached the 2020 Australian Open final, won the 2021 WTA Finals, and even achieved the World No. 1 status at the peak of her career.
The Spaniard, along with partner Carla Suárez Navarro, achieved success in the doubles format as well. The pair won five titles, reaching the 2014 French Open semifinals, and finishing runner-up at the 2015 WTA Finals.
However, after her appearance in Lyon in January 2023, Muguruza took a hiatus from the sport. At a point, she claimed she was enjoying her hiatus.
Over a year after announcing her break from tennis, she announced her retirement on April 20, 2024.
The Spaniard was felicitated before the women's singles final in Madrid. She received a photo frame that included a collage of pictures from her career.
