Garbiñe Muguruza anticipates the question. She is a former world No. 1, French Open and Wimbledon champion, and yet she has just announced her retirement at the age of 30. People will inevitably wonder: what now?
But the demand is already starting to get urgent. “People expect a great answer from me, I’m leaving tennis because I’m going to do this or that, I’m going to do business, I’m going to develop a cookie – whatever it is,” she says. “No. I’m leaving tennis because I’m looking forward to being with my loved ones, taking a trip without my tennis rackets, probably starting a family, getting a dog. I just don’t want to do anything.”
It’s not terribly surprising. Muguruza has spoken about finding a nomadic life while taxing touring. Her retirement news comes after a year-long hiatus, a decision she made after a string of cathartic results.
She traveled to the Maldives, attended film festivals and became engaged to Spanish-Finnish businessman Arthur Borges. Most of all, she realized that she hadn’t missed participating. She also had no specific desire to pursue anything else. But saying that out loud remains a taboo for women, she says.
“Oh my god, I feel like women’s power is amazing, but I feel bad saying sometimes that I want to be home and maybe have a family, take care of my kids,” she says, animatedly. It’s bad to say something like that these days. I feel like I always have to say that I want to be a businesswoman, that I’m going to be a role model.
“My father always says to me: ‘Garbiñe, don’t forget to live. You don’t have to be the Queen of Spain – relax’. And it’s true, there’s all this pressure, all these questions about what to do next and it’s like…’ she raises her hands as if to say ‘stop’, and exhales loudly.
There is some sadness in leaving for good, but Muguruza says there is also happiness and relief. She has achieved more than most. Born in Caracas to a Venezuelan mother and Spanish father, Muguruza had one of the more complete games on tour. She will be remembered for her great successes, especially between 2016 and 2017, when she won both her slam titles. She reached two more finals and there was also an unexpected WTA Finals victory in Guadalajara in 2021.
She stands alone as the only woman to have defeated both Serena and Venus Williams in the Grand Slam final, something she is particularly proud of. “Oh yes, I like that,” she says. “They were my idols. For whatever reason, beating them means more. Other players are great too, but for me beating them had an extra value: winning a slam by beating Serena or Venus.
Wimbledon was particularly memorable because she had that fortnight-old coach Conchita Martínez – the last Spanish woman to win at the All England Club – in her box. They remain close, and after making her big announcement at the Laureus Awards in Madrid last weekend, Muguruza celebrated with Martínez over dinner.
Meanwhile, compatriot Rafael Nadal will be on the other side of town at the Madrid Open this week, on his quest to extract one from his ailing 37-year-old body last season. That combination will not go unnoticed by Muguruza. She understands that it may seem strange for a player to leave the sport relatively prematurely and without much fanfare. “I’m not the type of person who could play knowing this is my last game,” she says. “I couldn’t play tennis, I would cry! It must be so hard when you’re a living legend like Rafa. It’s harder when you’re that big.’
Muguruza’s career has had many highs, but she says loneliness was something she found particularly difficult. It’s one of the main reasons she’s retiring. The busy schedule is something she would change about tennis if she could. “Win or lose, you go to your hotel room, you close the door and there’s no one there,” she says. “That’s it. The end of the day. Over the years you think, ‘Wow, I wish I could share this craziness with more people.’ You don’t have time to digest. It’s a hectic lifestyle.”
This ruthlessness is something that Naomi Osaka and Ash Barty have also described, with Barty opting for early retirement when she was No. 1 in the world. Does Muguruza think tennis is particularly difficult for top female players? She shakes her head. “I’ve never felt that way. I was lucky to be able to play tennis, it is a popular sport and we have better sponsors, tournaments and more prize money. I trained with many other athletes from different sports and I saw how difficult it was for them. They didn’t have the same opportunities. I was like a man, I don’t care if I get criticized. I’m so lucky.”
That sense of gratitude is palpable as she begins her next steps. No, before you ask, nothing hugely ambitious. First things first: getting a pug. “I love them, I’m obsessed,” she says, smiling broadly.
The 25th Laureus World Sports Awards took place on Monday 22 April in Madrid, celebrating the leading names in sport from around the world. Visit for more information www.laureus.com
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