By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
@APPhoto.
Two-time major champion Garbiñe Muguruza announced she’s retiring from professional tennis at age 30 after an extended time away from the court.
“I feel that it is time to retire and open up a new chapter in my life,” the former world No. 1 told a news conference in Madrid on Saturday.
Muguruza beat Serena Williams in the 2016 French Open final and Venus Williams in the 2017 Wimbledon final, making her the only player to defeat each Williams sister in a Grand Slam title match.
The Spanish player earned 10 career titles and was also the runner-up at 2015 Wimbledon and the 2020 Australian Open. She earned nearly $25 million in prize money — 13th on the all-time list — and finished with a win-loss record of 449-238.
Her last important victory was the 2021 ATP Finals.
Venezuela-born Muguruza has not played since January 2023, and last March said she was taking an extended break from tennis.
“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 number one in the world and win the WTA Finals, I would have thought this person was crazy,” said Muguruza.
“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 travelled all over the world and experienced many different cultures.”
Born in Caracas to a Spanish father and Venezuelan mother, Muguruza moved to Barcelona when she was a child to continue her tennis training. She became the first Spanish woman to lift a Grand Slam trophy since Arantxa Sánchez Vicario at the 1998 French Open.