A month after reaching world No.1 for the first time in her career, Garbine Muguruza will be the first person to empathize the importance of being mentally strong.
It has been a year of mixed emotions for the Spaniard. At her lowest she was in tears following a defeat to Kristina Mladenovic at the French Open in what was a highly animated encounter. Less than two months later she put behind her Paris woes, to win her second grand slam title at Wimbledon. Following on from that she crushed Simona Halep 6-1, 6-0, in the Cincinatti Open final.
“I’m a tennis player, I was born almost to play, I do not remember doing anything else.” Muguruza said during an interview with La Nacion.
“I remember watching the Williams sisters, Martina Hingis, Agassi and Sampras. Especially the Williams’. It’s funny, because I saw them and thought, ‘Can you imagine, Garbiñe, you, in 10 years playing the Wimbledon final, the final of Roland Garros?.”
Muguruza’s record against the Williams sisters is one that is sealed in the record books. She is the first and so far only player to have defeated both of them in a final of a grand slam. She defeated Serena at the 2015 French Open and Venus at Wimbledon this year.
The aggressive power play of the 24-year-old is one factor behind her success, but she also believes that mental toughness is crucial. She describes playing an individual sport as ‘psychological.’ In recent years the process has been aided with the induction of on-court coaching by the WTA, but in the major tournaments it is another story.
“That’s what I usually talk about with my team. But no one can teach me. They can advise me, but when I am in a Grand Slam final, who do I ask? How do I know? That’s something I have to deal with.” She replied when asked about how she mentally prepares for matches.
Currently ranked second in the world with a win-loss record of 46-19, Muguruza admits that she isn’t as calm on the court as she appears to be. Over the years she has learnt to control her emotions and hide them to avoid her opponents capitalising on her vulnerabilities.
“I (will have a) poker face while I say, ‘Come on, now is an important moment, do not get nervous.’ I think of how to play, how to prepare the point because this is tactical all the time. And if I fail: ‘Come, forget it, next point, do not get angry, next point.’ It’s a job.” Said the world No.2.
There is one more challenge awaiting Muguruza before her 2017 campaign ends. Next week she will bid to become the first Spanish winner of the WTA Finals in Singapore. It will be the third consecutive year that she has competed in the year-end championships.
