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Garbine Muguruza shocked the tennis world on Saturday, announcing her imminent retirement from tennis.
Muguruza has been on the sidelines since January of 2023, having lost four matches on the trot to start the season. The Spaniard announced after that that she will be taking a break from the game, with no definite return date set at the time.
Speaking in an interview earlier in 2024, Muguruza had shown no inclination of making a comeback either, stating that she was happy to rest and stay with her loved ones for the time being.
"Today I have no intention of returning. My plan right now is to sleep, rest, be with my loved ones, make up for lost time. I don't see beyond what I'm doing today, tomorrow and this week," Muguruza had said.
"I have taken a break, a sabbatical year. It was good for me, I needed it. The competition and the trips are very hard. We have to see how the issue of playing, not playing, develops," she added.
With that being said, the former World No. 1 called for a press conference in Madrid, where she broke the news today that she will be retiring from the sport for good.
"I feel like the time has come to say goodbye," Muguruza said, as collected from various Spanish sources. "I feel that it is time to open a new stage, a new era in my life."
As reported by Spanish journalist Carlos Navarro, the two-time Grand Slam champion admitted that she was a bit nervous to make the announcement, adding that the word "retirement" felt a bit strong in her opinion.
"I was nervous, I wanted to say it. I feel good, although the word retired is a bit strong," Muguruza added.
Garbine Muguruza's last competitive tennis match came at the 2023 Lyon Open, where she lost to Linda Noskova in the Round of 32. Prior to that, the 30-year-old registered losses against Elise Mertens, Bianca Andreescu and Belinda Bencic to finish the year at 0-4.
Garbine Muguruza won Grand Slams on two of the three surfaces
Among her biggest achievements on the tennis court was Garbine Muguruza's two Grand Slam titles -- one each at the French Open and Wimbledon. The Spaniard won the French Open in 2016, beating Serena Williams in the final. She then won her second Major the following year, beating Venus Williams in the final at SW19.
Having won Slams on two of the three surfaces, Muguruza would have completed the trifecta in 2020 if not for Sofia Kenin. After reaching the final of the Australian Open, she fell to Sofia Kenin in a three-set comeback win by the American. Before that, Muguruza reached one more Grand Slam final -- at Wimbledon in 2015 (loss to Serena Williams).
Overall, Garbine Muguruza won 10 titles on the WTA Tour, her last coming at the WTA Finals in 2021. She also reigned as the World No. 1 for a total of four weeks in 2017.
