Spanish player officially announces end to a sporting career that included Grand Slam wins at Wimbledon and Roland-Garros

Ahead of the 2024 Laureus Awards in her home nation, Spanish tennis player Garbine Muguruza has announced that she has retired from the sport.

The two-time Grand Slam winner revealed the information at a press conference on Saturday (20 April) ahead of Monday’s award ceremony in Madrid’s Palacio de Cibeles.

“My story has been fantastic,” Muguruza said. “The time has come to say goodbye. I have come this far.

“My story in this sport has been very good. I have achieved many dreams that I had as a child. I have made my story fantastic.”

“The word retired sounds very strong because I am still 30 years old, but it has been 25 years since I started playing tennis in which I have achieved so much.

The 30-year-old, who reached the quarter-finals in women’s singles at the the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in 2021, and doubles at Rio 2016, has not played since February 2023, and will become a Laureus Ambassador.

Former Spanish tennis star Garbine Muguruza did not hold back when asked who she prefers out of compatriots Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal.

Tennis legend Garbine Muguruza controversially chose Carlos Alcaraz over Rafael Nadal when asked which of her fellow Spaniards she preferred.

Muguruza, born in Venezuela to a Spanish father and a Venezuelan mother, won the WTA Finals in 2021 before hanging up her racket in April this year. The 30-year-old – who is the only player to beat both Williams sisters in a Grand Slam final – knows a thing or two about winning majors, triumphing at Roland Garros in 2016 and Wimbledon in 2017.

She is therefore the perfect person to comment on her compatriots, with ongoing debates in recent times over whether fans prefer the 22-time Grand Slam legend Nadal or boy wonder Alcaraz, who at 21 has already blitzed his way to four Grand Slams. In personality, Nadal is revered for his humility while Alcaraz has gained fans for his less filtered approach.

Muguruza perhaps surprisingly voiced her preference for the young talent over Nadal, believing Alcaraz’s style is more similar to that of herself. “There are moments when we think a lot about what we say, especially so that it doesn’t backfire,” Muguruza said in a recent interview with Esquire magazine.

“But I like to say what I think. Rafa is more reserved in that respect. I like Carlos, I see him more confident, younger, speaking more and saying what he thinks. And I believe people also appreciate that and not measuring your words so much.”

She went on to say about her own approach: “I don’t know why I’ve been labelled as rebellious and misunderstood. Maybe it’s because on the boys’ side it’s been very quiet thanks to Rafa.

“By showing a little more happiness or anger and not being so emotionless, I’ve been branded as a rebel, but I haven’t felt like that at all. I’m a very emotional person on court, you could see it on my face.”