Garbiñe Muguruza: "I didn't want to always be physically and mentally exhausted"

It is evident just by looking at her face, the shape of her smile, her reflections, and the relaxed tone of her conversation that Garbiñe Muguruza (Caracas, 1993) has gracefully accepted the end of her tennis career without any trauma. The former world number 1, a winner of the masters tournament and a finalist at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, spoke to this newspaper at the Palacio de Cibeles, where the twenty-fifth edition of the Laureus Awards is taking place.

How did you feel the day after officially announcing your retirement? Phew! It’s a rollercoaster of emotions. On one hand, there is no reason for sadness as it is a celebration of a beautiful career. But on the other hand, it marks the end of a chapter in my life that has given me so much. What will you miss the most about tennis? I will miss those moments of triumph and the adrenaline rush that comes with winning a point or acing a serve. That feeling of satisfaction when things go well. I will also miss my team because even though tennis is an individual sport, having a supportive team is always nice. When did you make the decision to retire permanently? Last year, I decided to take a break and not think about anything. I wanted to rest and recharge. I didn’t expect to feel this good. After a couple of days, I called my coach Conchita Martinez and told her that I wanted to continue resting and that I didn’t feel the same desire to get back on the court with the same determination. Time passed, and I decided to give myself one more year. When 2024 began, I realized that I didn’t have the same passion for tennis anymore. If you’re not fully committed and at your best, you won’t be able to compete at the highest level. Do you think tennis has a negative impact on mental health? At the highest level, yes. It demands so much sacrifice and dedication. Not only tennis but any sport that aims to be number 1 in the world requires giving up everything for it. It pushes you to your limits. You mentioned wanting to make up for lost time. Did you feel confined by tennis? Yes, in a way. Tennis became my whole life, playing the same tournaments, following the same routine every day. There was nothing more than waking up and dedicating myself to physical effort. I don’t want to say that I missed out on things because I gained a lot, but I wanted to do basic things, spend time with my loved ones, and not always feel physically and mentally exhausted. Because my body wasn’t the same anymore, especially with my ankle problems. The day-to-day grind was very demanding. Did you make friends on the tennis circuit? I have always been more solitary in tennis. It was difficult for me to make friends and then face them on the court the next day. It’s hard to form close friendships in an individual sport. Was tennis always your destiny? Absolutely. I started playing when I was three years old because my brothers were already playing. It was clear from the beginning that I had a natural talent for it, and as I grew older, I realized that tennis was my calling. Did you ever feel exhausted while playing? Yes, there were moments when I felt exhausted. After winning the WTA Finals in 2021, I had a very short off-season and went straight into the Australian Open in 2022. I remember thinking to myself, “Here we go again.” I started to feel the accumulation of physical and mental fatigue, and my performances were inconsistent. The satisfaction of winning wasn’t the same anymore. I think it’s a natural process. Do you have any regrets? Of course, there are moments that I look back on and feel a twinge of regret. For example, the Grand Slam finals that I couldn’t win, especially the one in Australia in 2020 against Sofia Kenin. That was the toughest moment of my career. The Wimbledon final was different because I was still new to the stage. I also regret not winning an Olympic medal, especially when I came close with Carla Suarez. There will always be a “what if” lingering, but in the end, I accept that it was what it was. Now that you have left the controlled world of tennis, do you feel a sense of dizziness or uncertainty? Yes, it does feel like stepping into the unknown. The life of a tennis player is very controlled, just like horses. As Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova have told me, now everything will feel like a vacation. It’s about enjoying life and taking it easy, as my parents always advised. Not everything has to be a frantic rush of work and obligations. Your time has come, and that’s okay. 30 years old is a good age to transition into a new phase of life. Have you considered coaching? Coaching is like being a player but with an added responsibility of guiding another person. It’s a tough job, and right now, I’m not even thinking about it. How would you like to be remembered? I hope to be remembered as someone who was not only a successful tennis player but also a determined and courageous individual, someone who pursued her goals with passion and never gave up.