“Don’t appreciate how Venus Williams is neglected” – Tennis fans miffed as Serena Williams set to be sole athlete honored with CFDA Fashion Icon Award
Serena Williams recently revealed that she will be feted by the jury at the 2023 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York on November 8. Several tennis fans were displeased with the decision citing the pervasive negligence of Venus Williams’ contributions to the sport.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion has focussed her efforts on her independent clothing line “S by Serena” ever since her retirement in 2022. Serena Williams was also very popular for her tennis outfits during her playing days. With that context, it makes a lot of sense for the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) to honor her with their “Fashion Icon Award”.
Several fans took to social media in support of the seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams. One fan opined that this should have been a joint award, celebrating both the sisters’ contributions to the sport.
“I think this should’ve been a joint celebration of both Venus [Williams] and Serena’s contribution to bringing the black fashion into mainstream sports. Don’t appreciate how Venus is neglected in moments of celebration and honour,” the user tweeted.
Another fan emphasized that both the Williams sisters have played their part in revolutionizing fashion in women’s tennis. The fan further opined that Venus Williams should have won the award over her sister.
“Listen, I get people’s feedback out this. However, it is important to note that the Williams sisters revolutionized the fashion in women’s tennis,” the user tweeted.
“With that said, I do think Venus is the sister that should be receiving this award,” the user added.
Another user posted:
“Serena [Williams] & Venus [Williams] have changed so much about tennis and beyond. Well done!! 👏👏🎾🏆 🐐”
Look, at some point, Coco Gauff was going to lose a tennis match.
No one wins forever, even a teenage Grand Slam winner seemingly destined for greatness who has to deal with all the attendant pressures that come with reaching the pinnacle of the sport.
She was going to have to deal with the inevitable niggles, discomforts and injuries that happen when someone starts to reach the deep end at nearly every tournament they enter.
The good feels that began with Gauff’s triumph in Washington, D.C. in mid-summer gained steam with another winner’s trophy near Cincinnati in late August and peaked with victory at the U.S. Open in September before hopping across the Pacific Ocean for four more solid wins at the China Open in Beijing.
But then came a semi-final loss in China on Saturday to Iga Swiatek, the world No 2, who herself knows something about the rough seas that can accompany a teenage breakthrough.
“One of the goals I set earlier in the year was for me to do well in the big events,” Gauff, 19, said after the loss to Swiatek, during which she received treatment on her sore right shoulder from a physiotherapist. “I accomplished that goal. I’m really proud of myself.”
As well she should be. Now comes the tricky part: making sure she isn’t a tennis one-hit-wonder, but rather the kind of enduring champion who fills a room with important trophies throughout her career.
“She’s won her Grand Slam, but she wants to win many of them,” said Alessandro Barel Di Sant Albano of Team8, who is Gauff’s agent.
There are plenty of road maps. Tennis does not lack teenage Grand Slam champions who went on to have epic careers — Bjorn Borg, Serena Williams, Chris Evert, Mats Wilander, Monica Seles, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova among others.
Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz seem well on their way, but teen success hardly guarantees a career of triumph. Just ask Bianca Andreescu, Emma Raducanu or Jelena Ostapenko, who all experienced rapid journeys to the top of the mountain; maybe too rapid.
Teenage female Grand Slam winners
PLAYER
AGE
YEAR/GRAND SLAM
TOTAL GRAND SLAMS WON
Martina Hingis
16
1997 Australian Open
5
Monica Seles
16
1990 French Open
9
Tracy Austin
16
1979 US Open
2
Maria Sharapova
17
2004 Wimbledon
5
Arantxa Sanchez Vicario
17
1989 French Open
4
Serena Williams
17
1999 US Open
23
Steffi Graf
17
1987 French Open
22
Emma Raducanu
18
2021 US Open
1
Hana Mandlikova
18
1980 Australian Open
4
Svetlana Kuznetsova
19
2004 US Open
2
Bianca Andreescu
19
2019 US Open
1
Iga Swiatek
19
2020 French Open
4
Chris Evert
19
1974 French Open
18
Coco Gauff
19
2023 US Open
1
Iva Majoli
19
1997 French Open
1
Evonne Goolagong Cawley
19
1971 French Open
7
*Open era only
Even Swiatek, now 22, who also burst practically out of nowhere to win the French Open in 2020, was teetering on the edge of an emotional break by the end of the next year, unable to deal with the stress of adjusting to life as a Grand Slam champion suddenly playing with a massive target on her back.
“A lot of tennis is about levels, moving up from one level to the next,” said Tracy Austin, who beat Martina Navratilova and Evert back-to-back to win the U.S. Open aged 16 in 1979, then returned to biology class at Rolling Hills High School in California days later. “Going through those levels gives you time to get grounded as you move from one level to the next.”
Staying grounded has been one of Gauff’s top priorities in the weeks following the biggest splash of her nascent career.
Gauff’s victory in New York at the U.S. Open last month occurred just before 6:30pm and she stayed at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center conducting interviews with the press until nearly midnight.
The next day, she went to the Sunday Night Football game at MetLife Stadium between the New York Giants and the Buffalo Bills and then appeared on The Today Show the next morning.
After that, she went home to Delray Beach, Florida, and essentially disappeared. She attended a 40-person party for friends and family at the nearby Ray Hotel, since many of those had not been able to attend the U.S. Open.
That included her brothers, who had been busy with their first weeks of school and their own sports. Codey Gauff is a serious baseball player and Cameron is a Pee Wee football quarterback.
She turned down hundreds of media requests. Sant Albano politely declined dozens of approaches from companies wanting to sign her to sponsorships. Gauff has long-term deals with New Balance, Head, Rolex, Bose, Barilla, Baker Tilly and U.P.S. “That’s plenty for now,” Sant Albano said.
She had dinner with her friends. She did the usual chores her parents make her do. She slept, a lot.
Last year, Alcaraz resumed competing just days after winning the U.S. Open. He spent the next months battling injuries and missed both the ATP Finals and the 2023 Australian Open. Gauff didn’t touch a racket for six days following her win.
Only after proper rest did she start thinking about practicing again and competing in the last tournaments of the season, which will conclude with the $9million (£7.3m; €8.5m) WTA Finals in Cancun, beginning on October 29.
After the shoulder soreness flared up in Beijing, she pulled out of this week’s tournament in Zhengzhou. If there is any risk of a serious injury that also causes her to pull out of the WTA Finals, so be it.
People who have done this all before say Gauff’s advantage is that, strange as this may sound, what happened in New York was borderline normal for Coco World.
With the memories of Gauff’s stirring win still fresh — the collapse on the court after that last rolling backhand down the line, the tear-soaked, three-way hug with her parents, taking possession of a check for $3million — it’s hard to think of anything that happened on that momentous Saturday evening as normal. But Gauff is not a normal teenage tennis player.
She has been carrying expectations for years, ever since her breakout run to the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2019 when she was just 15. Billboards? Magazine covers? Been there, done that. She won her first WTA title in 2019 and another one in 2021. She made the final of the French Open last year, then rolled through this summer’s tournaments in the U.S. to her maiden Grand Slam title.
“Coco has been famous for a while,” Sant Albano said.
That wasn’t the case for Ostapenko, the Latvian who was ranked 47th when she blasted her way to the French Open title in 2017, or Andreescu, who began 2019 outside the top 100 but won the U.S. Open that September, becoming the first Canadian Grand Slam singles champion as well as very rich and very famous.
By the end of 2021, she was volunteering in a shelter for survivors of domestic violence and then later attended a yoga and consciousness-raising retreat in Costa Rica to figure out if she wanted to play tennis anymore.
“In a way, like, I had it all, but I didn’t feel fulfilled or happy inside,” Andreescu said during an interview earlier this year. “And that’s when I was like, ‘OK, I understand why people have whatever they want and then deep down they don’t love themselves or are not fulfilled in whatever way.’”
Swiatek was ranked 54th when she won the French Open in October 2020. Thirteen months later, at the WTA Finals in Guadalajara in 2021, she broke down in tears after her loss to Maria Sakkari, who comforted her at the net.
Swiatek, who made the quarter-finals of just one Grand Slam that year, said she was overcome with frustration at not being able to handle the stress. “I forget this is new for me,” she said at the time.
Raducanu was an 18-year-old qualifier and just a few months removed from taking her university entrance exams when she won the U.S. Open in 2021. She morphed into a fashion icon at the Met Gala days later, then struggled to string together wins throughout 2022 and had surgery on both wrists earlier this year.
All of their lives were transformed practically overnight.
In contrast, Evert, who was among the first teen phenoms of the modern era when she won the French Open and Wimbledon at the age of 19 in 1974, said players who experience a “natural progression”, who are known entities and justifiably highly touted before they win a Grand Slam, experience the triumph as a confirmation that they belong.
She, Austin, Steffi Graf, Seles (who won an absurd eight Grand Slams before her 20th birthday), Martina Hingis, and Gauff didn’t surprise many people when they finally broke through.
“It gets the antenna up a little more,” said Evert, who now commentates for ESPN. “It’s not pressure but being more aware that you know you are at that level.”
Wilander, a French Open champion at 17 who went on to win six more Grand Slams, said he was helped by having a social structure that kept him grounded, with his older brothers still treating him like their little brother.
Also, Swedish culture, he said, looked down on people who showed off their money or bragged about their exploits, so he didn’t. Other top Swedish players, such as Mikael Pernfors and Anders Jarryd, kept beating him in practice and making him fetch decks of cards in the locker room or beers at the players’ hotel.
The challenge for him came later, after his seventh Grand slam triumph, after he had become No 1. He had achieved everything he had set out to achieve on the tennis court. That is when the emptiness and the lack of motivation set in. His fame had allowed him to hobnob with celebrities and fulfil his true dream of playing guitar with Keith Richards.
“There is an artificial twist to your life,” Wilander said. “It can be overwhelming and inject a false sense of confidence in you as a human being.”
So far so good on that front for Gauff. However, as Swiatek and Andreescu and so many others have shown, what comes next is anyone’s guess.
On October 7, 2022, Rafa Nadal and Mery Perelló joyfully welcomed their first child, a much-anticipated baby boy. This Saturday marks the baby’s first birthday, which is happening during a difficult time for his Nadal, because of the uncertainty of his career.
The son of the Mallorcan athlete was born in a private clinic in Palma, his hometown. There are very few public photos of the young Rafa because both Mery and Rafa prefer to keep their personal life private. In fact, this summer was the first time they shared a picture of all three of them together. It happened in July during their boat vacation along the Greek coast. In the photo, they are seen from behind, looking at the famous Corinth Canal that connects to the Aegean Sea.
The tennis player is currently recovering and rehabilitating from a hip and psoas operation he had in early June. In a recent interview with Spanish journalist Juanma Castaño, Nadal eagerly expressed his desire to make a comeback to the tennis courts in 2024, with the possibility of this return depending on his recovery.
During the interview with the Spanish journalist, the winner of 22 Grand Slams discussed his role as a father: “I’m doing well as a father; I’ve always liked children a lot… I haven’t taken my son to the park yet, butI do spend a lot of time with him, even if it means having a sore back from carrying him. We’ve taken some walks around my house, like everyone else.” Rafa also revealed that his baby boy has already grabbed a tiny racket and he finds it amusing.
This weekend, the couple celebrated their baby’s first birthday in an intimate gathering with family. The celebration was extremely private, and as a result, very few details have been disclosed as of today.
During his recovery, Nadal remained active, balancing quality time with his family and business endeavors. This summer, the accomplished Spanish tennis player and entrepreneur, expanded his Zel Hotels brand in collaboration with Meliá Hotels International. They are set to open their first location in Mexico, a top tourist destination, in 2025.
Rafael Nadal and Maria Perelló also recently developed their own signature scents. The couple collaborated with the brand Henry Jacques to craft their fragrances for a collection that is called in “In All Intimacy.”
Andy Murray’s former coach Mark Petchey has made a bold statement by claiming that Coco Gauff as the best WTA athlete ever. The tennis coach named Steffi Graf as the second best and totally snubbed Venus Williams and Martina Navratilova. Women’s tennis has seen its fair share of remarkable athletes throughout the years, with names like Steffi Graf, Serena Williams and Venus Williams leaving a mark on the tennis history. Hence, this statement by Petchey has attracted a lot of attention.
Coco Gauff is still only 19 years of age and has just won her first-ever Grand Slam title. Gauff winning her first Grand Slam has made many believe that she is the heir to Serena Williams, but the teenager still has a long way to go.
Coco Gauff is the best ever WTA athlete according to Mark Petchey
Mark Petchey has made a bold statement claiming that Coco Gauff is the greatest women’s tennis athlete ever. The British tennis coach was comparing Gauff to Steffi Graf, who he felt was the second best athlete ever. The former world number 1, Graf, won 22 major titles in her illustrious career.
When comparing the two, Petchey claimed that Coco Gauff is experiencing a different version of tennis as compared to Graff. Petchey added that tennis has evolved over the years and the game is now at a higher and quicker level. With all these things put into perspective, the British coach gave his nod to Gauff as the greatest WTA athlete of all time.
“I think Coco Gauff is the best athlete to play tennis. You cannot tell me the sport is played at the same pace as it was when Steffi was playing. The sport moves on and I don’t think we should compare the current generation of players to the GOATs because they were the best in their era. I personally think, Coco Gauff, looking at her right now, with the speed at which the game is played at.. she is the best best women’s tennis athlete we have ever seen.”
Coco Gauff is still in the early stages of her professional career and Mark Petchey’s statement feels farfetched. Former players such as Venus Williams and Martina Navratilova have made an impact on tennis, and calling a 19-year-old the greatest WTA athlete ever can be considered disrespectful.
Gauff still has a long way to go
While Coco Gauff’s talent and athleticism have been obvious since her breakout performance at the French Open 2021, it is important to remember the long-lasting legacies of players such as Steffi Graf, Venus Williams, and Martina Navratilova. These tennis legends have proved that consistency and longevity are the most important things for a player to succeed.
Gauff will need to keep adding to her US Open title and show a lot more consistency and longevity to match the records set by the GOATs of the sport.
Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf’s love story is no less than a romantic movie. If you have ever read the 8-time Grand Slam Champion’s autobiography, he has talked about his journey with his wife in detail. Starting from how he developed a crush on his future wife before even meeting her in person to actually having two children with her.
Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf’s love story is no less than a romantic movie. If you have ever read the 8-time Grand Slam Champion’s autobiography, he has talked about his journey with his wife in detail. Starting from how he developed a crush on his future wife before even meeting her in person to actually having two children with her.
The American tennis legend’s own autobiography, Open, detailed his life, both professional and personal aspects. 14 years after the release of the memoir, a fan took to his Reddit account to share the most cringe-worthy punchline he found in the book. He wrote, “So many cringeworthy punchlines in this book, but this one is by far the worst.”
I think I found the creepiest sentence in Agassi’s autobiography
byu/Silver_Sort_9091 intennis
Along with that, he shared a little insight into what that line was. He shared a picture of the book and underlined the punchline, which said, “Every forehand is foreplay.” This was the time when he described his first practice with the 22-time Grand Slam champion, from the time when he was still married to the American actress Brooke Shields.
Novak Djokovic defended his Beijing title in 2013, remaining perfect in the Chinese capital! The Serb defeated his great rival Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and 27 minutes in the title clash, celebrating his first ATP trophy since Monte Carlo in April.
Novak secured his fourth title at this event from four trips to Beijing, maintaining a perfect score after debuting in 2009. Djokovic lifted his 38th ATP title and the fourth of the season, improving his impressive score in the ATP 500 finals to 10-0.
Novak and Rafa met for the 38th time, and the Serb celebrated his 16th victory, leading 12-8 in their hard-court duels and leveling the score in the finals to 9-9. It was Nadal’s first hard-court loss of the season. Novak won 18 points more than Rafa and made the difference in his service games.
The Serb served at 72%, dropping six points and offering the Spaniard no break chances. Nadal struggled on the second serve, losing serve once in each set and settling with a runner-up prize. Novak tamed his strokes nicely and welcomed over 20 unforced errors from Rafa.
Interestingly, Nadal led the shortest rallies up to four strokes and stayed in touch in the most advanced ones. However, Djokovic destroyed him in the mid-range exchanges, building a massive 27-7 lead and securing the victory in that segment.
Novak held in the encounter’s first game with a forehand crosscourt winner. Rafa played a couple of loose backhands in the second game and lost serve to fall 2-0 behind. Djokovic grabs the third game at love, moving 3-0 up after 11 minutes.
The Serb earned three game points with a drop shot winner in the fifth game and closed it with an ace for 4-1. Rafa landed a service winner in game six to remain within one break deficit, and Novak responded with a hold at love for 5-2.
Nadal prolonged the set with a hold in game eight, leaving Djokovic serving for the opener at 5-3. Novak created two set points with a forehand winner, firing another for 6-3 in 35 minutes.
Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal in the 2013 Beijing final.
Not stopping there, the Serb broke at the beginning of the second set after a superb defense and the Spaniard’s mistake.
Djokovic cemented the break with a hold at love in game two after an ace, doing everything right so far. On the other hand, Nadal hit a double fault in the third game, experiencing a break point. Novak sprayed it but earned the second with a backhand down the line winner.
Rafa saved it with a smash winner and closed the game with a service winner, remaining within one break deficit. Djokovic left those chances behind and fired an ace in the fourth game for 3-1. Nadal responded with a hold at love in game five after a service winner, hoping for some chances on the return.
Instead, Djokovic grabbed a 24-stroke exchange in game six after the rival’s backhand mistake, moving 4-2 ahead and closer to the finish line. In those moments, Nadal found the range behind the initial shot, clinching the seventh game at love with a service winner.
Novak fell 30-15 behind in the eighth game after a wayward backhand before taking the following three points, opening a 5-3 lead. Rafa served to stay in the match in game nine and landed a service winner to bring it home and extend the duel.
Djokovic served for the title at 5-4, forcing the rival’s mistake for three match points. Novak needed only one to emerge at the top, striking a service winner and celebrating his first title in over five months.
Spanish tennis legend Conchita Martinez is warning that Rafael Nadal has proved many over the course of his career that he can never be ruled out. Nadal, 37, underwent surgery on his psoas muscle in early June and he is targeting to return to tennis in 2024 after appearing in just two tournaments this year.
When announcing his French Open withdrawal in May, Nadal also revealed his plans to retire from pro tennis in 2024. During a special press conference in Mallorca, Nadal also highlighted that being healthy and competing at the 2024 French Open and Paris Olympics is high on his wish list.
Martinez on Nadal’s 2024 return
“Well, he said it was going to be a farewell year in the tournaments he wants, and that’s the way it has to be. Whenever Rafa has had injuries he has always got up and come back stronger, he has won important tournaments.
I think that’s going to be his goal. But with injuries we can’t fight, I hope he recovers. He is in the best hands, especially with Doctor (Angel Ruiz) Cotrorro. I have no doubt that he is doing the right things, they are not going to take any risks.
If he is fit, he will have a very competitive year. If he doesn’t feel that way, we’ll see, then he will focus on the tournaments that really matter to him, which will be Roland Garros and some previous ones. Hopefully he will come back stronger.
We should never rule him out, he always surprises us,
During a recent interview with AS Diario, Nadal was asked how sure he was that the 2024 season was going to be his last year.
Answering the question, Nadal didn’t close the doors on playing beyond 2024 but also added he is “pretty convinced” that next year will be his last.
Coco Gauff is back in action at the WTA Beijing Open. It is the American’s first tournament back since her stunning run to the title at the US Open. Gauff’s first round match against Ekaterina Alexandrova is one of four contests predicted in this article. There are 13 matches in total scheduled in total on a very busy day in Beijing. We at LWOT predict the other nine matchups on Day 3 in two separate articles–one featuring Elena Rybakina vs Qinwen Zheng and the second featuring Iga Swiatek vs Sara Sorribes Tormo.
WTA Beijing Day 3 Predictions
Jasmine Paolini vs Yue Yuan
Head-to-head: First meeting
Both players had superb comeback victories in their respective opening rounds. Paolini defeated French Open semifinalist Beatriz Haddad Maia, while Yuan upset Elise Mertens. Yuan’s natural ability is so much better than her current ranking, which is outside the Top 100. Another upset is possible with her home fans supporting her. But I think Paolini will get through this test. The Italian is a determined and feisty competitor, and is unlikely to be phased by the crowd being against her. Expect her to be resilient and tough in the important moments in this WTA Beijing Open clash.
This should be a fun match between two players who play aggressively. 2017 French Open winner Ostapenko is difficult for most players to stop when her ball-striking is on point. But I am backing her teenage opponent at the WTA Beijing Open. Even at such a young age, Noskova’s strong preference for hard courts is clear. She usually strikes the ball cleanly and consistently on her favoured surface. That puts added pressure on Ostapenko to conjure up enough winners. In truth, predicting the inconsistent Ostapenko’s matches is difficult, and she is capable of blasting her way to victory. Nonetheless, the Czech gets a slight edge here
2019 Australian Open finalist Kvitova has had a great season overall, although she has struggled for wins by her standards since the end of the grass court season. This could be a tough match for her. Montreal Masters finalist Samsonova is dangerous in Asian conditions, having won the Tokyo Open last year. Her huge serve in the moderately fast conditions in Beijing is a huge weapon if it is working. Kvitova is the better all-round player, but I feel there is a good chance of this being a very tight match. I am going with Samsonova to cause a minor upset at the WTA Beijing Open.
It will be fascinating to observe Gauff’s level on her return. Will she be fully focused, or could her season understandably peter out after that incredible win at Flushing Meadows? I doubt Alexandrova is the ideal first opponent back for her. The huge-serving 28-year-old has caused Gauff problems in quick conditions in the past. Alexandrova beat Gauff on grass this year, and only lost to the American in a final-set tiebreak in Dubai in 2021. It is unlikely to be a match where Gauff gets much rhythm. I am backing the US Open champion to get it done at the WTA Beijing Open. But a close match, or even an upset would not be a huge surprise.
The Spanish former world No 1 tells ‘The National’ about the inaugural Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open and how she plans to approach the new season after a difficult 2023
When Garbine Muguruza last visited Abu Dhabi to compete in a WTA Tour event, life was decidedly different. It was January 2021 and restrictions designed to prevent the spread of Covid-19 were firmly in place.
The UAE’s vigilant response to the pandemic made it the ideal place to start the new tennis season, and so the one-off Abu Dhabi Women’s Tennis Open was created. There were no spectators, and the players were contained in ‘bubbles’, splitting their time exclusively between hotel room and tennis court.
“I could see the beach from my window, so I was there but not there because I was stuck in the hotel room,” Muguruza, 29, told The National.
“We would only go to the court. We couldn’t walk around or anything, so it was hard. I got to see the city a little bit on the way to the court, but this time I’m definitely going to go out, go to restaurants, do some sightseeing and experience more of Abu Dhabi.”
The opportunity for Muguruza to enjoy Abu Dhabi for real has been made possible with the addition of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open to the WTA Tour calendar – and in the Spaniard’s case, the invitation of a wildcard.
The 500-level tournament, to be held February 6-12 at Zayed Sports City, will be a permanent fixture on the tour and adds to the Middle East swing already comprising the Qatar Open – taking place the following week – and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, starting on February 19.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Muguruza said, when asked about Abu Dhabi being added to the calendar. “Because of Covid, it’s opened up the tour to new markets, so it’s a good thing.
“I’ve been to places where tennis wasn’t perhaps so familiar, and I felt it was a great opportunity to take tennis to these places. In the Middle East, it’s great we get more tournaments. Tennis might not be the No 1 sport but that can change, especially when these events are happening, and we give people the chance to see more of the sport.”
For much of her career, Muguruza would enter such tournaments as one of the top seeds and a leading contender for the title. Being a world No 1 and two-time Grand Slam champion will generally attract that sort of status.
Instead, the Spaniard will arrive in the capital ranked outside the top 80 and without a win this year. Last season, she won just 12 matches and only twice claimed back-to-back wins. It marks an alarming and curious drop in form for a player who concluded the 2021 season with the WTA Finals title and ranked world No 3. Earlier that same year, she won the title in Dubai.
Yet, there appears to be very little bitterness or frustration at her current predicament. Over Zoom from her hotel room in Australia, Muguruza was in fine form, full of smiles and happy to engage openly about her on-court issues. The key, she said, has been to stay calm.
“I’ve had so many moments in my career where I’ve been so high, and other moments when I’ve not been so high. It’s a process of trying to get back up there,” Muguruza said. “Now I’m focusing on training hard and being humble.
“You have to know that maybe you haven’t had the success recently as you had in other years, but that’s fine because things can change very quickly.
“With tennis, one week it can go wrong, then next week it can go well, then everything changes again. I think experience helps me to stay calm in the not-so-good moments when I haven’t been playing as well or results haven’t followed.
“That’s where the experience comes in; to stay calm and keep working hard. And if you have to be a little more humble, that’s good too. It’s really a rollercoaster, the athlete’s career.”
For a player accustomed to fighting for Grand Slam titles while operating near the top of the rankings, Muguruza is taking a simpler and more philosophical approach to 2023. Last season may have been tough, but it did provide some valuable lessons.
“I feel that this year it’s more about keeping it calm and more simple,” she said. “Last year I put myself under a lot of pressure, telling myself to keep going to stay at the top all the time. That definitely didn’t help me, and it was a bit of struggle.
“This year, yes ranking is important – I’ve been at every possible ranking – but that is not my priority anymore. Now it’s about enjoying my time on court and taking the trophies back home, then we’ll see what the ranking is.”
Garbine Muguruza’s first-round exit at the 2023 Australian Open came as an extension of her poor run over the last 12 months. The Spaniard has spiraled down the rankings ever since her impressive run at the 2021 WTA Finals in Guadalajara — where she lifted the trophy to propel herself back into the top-10.
The Australian Open loss against Belgian Elise Mertens comes as the latest blow for Muguruza, who is now 0-3 in terms of the win-loss column for 2023. She had earlier suffered tough losses at the hands of Bianca Andreescu and Belinda Bencic in Adelaide.
Reflecting on her recent struggles in an interview with Eurosport, Muguruza said she will rethink her 2023 calendar and plan participation in tournaments based on her ranking. The Spaniard added that she valued the lower-rung tournaments and it was time for her to be “humble.”
“I will have to make a proper calendar with my ranking,” Garbine Muguruza said. “I’ll try to play the best tournaments too but when I can’t I’ll look at other lesser ones. I will value these type of tournaments. It’s time to be humble.”
Elaborating on her recent struggles, Muguruza said she felt that tension and fatigue had a big part in costing her some of the matches.
The former World No. 1 went on to say that while she has played well in patches, her best tennis has evaded her in tight moments — adding that she needed to start closing out matches to regain her confidence.
“I think it has been a mixture of tension and fatigue,” Garbine Muguruza said. “Physically I have noticed a downturn. The truth is that the key moments are costing me. I start playing well and then maybe I don’t show the highest level. It is necessary to be able to close these types of moments decisively.”
Garbine Muguruza to slip out top-75 after Australian Open
Garbine Muguruza was ranked inside the top-10 in the world rankings this time last year. Her inability to defend her finals showing at the 2020 Australian Open, however, kicked off her slide.
The Spaniard has not reached another tournament final since Guadalajara and the same has taken a toll on her position on the ranking ladder. She came into this year’s Australian Open ranked barely inside the world top-75 — at No. 73.
Her first-round exit, however, will see her slip further. With only 764 points to her name, she is expected to fall to No. 81 and could drop further depending on other results.
