Former World No.1 Tennis champion Spanish-Venezuelan Garbiñe Muguruza is using her love of tennis, and experience as a professional athlete to inspire Arab women, in particular Saudi women, to engage with the sport.
In June this year the World Tennis Association announced that former World No. 1 in singles by the World Tennis Association (WTA) 30-year-old Muguruza would serve as Tournament Director of the WTA Finals Riyadh, the season-ending tournament of the Hologic WTA Tournament which took place between November 2-9, featured top eight singles players and doubles teams in the PIF Race to the WTA Finals.
This year, World No. 2, American tennis star Coco Gauff took home the top title, and was crowned champion of the WTA Finals for 2024.
Saudi Arabia, Tennis and the WTA
One of the crown jewel events of women’s tennis, holding the WTA Finals in Riyadh this year makes a grand statement regarding the power of the sport to not only keep women fit but also its ability to unite and inspire.
“In Saudi Arabia the entire field of sports is changing and expanding,” she said. “I am transitioning from being a professional tennis player and an athlete to a role that is more behind-the-scenes. I am learning about all the elements required to make a tournament—aspects you don’t know about when you are an athlete performing.” “It’s very exciting to be in Saudi because it’s a new market and there is not yet a big culture for sports, especially for women’s sports,” added Mugurunza.
“It’s wonderful to have a presence here and make history not just because of a tournament but to champion the sport in Saudi and across the Arab world.”
In her new role Muguruza will work with WTA, the Saudi Tennis Federation and the Ministry of Sport to oversee strategic planning and delivery of the event for the next three years (2024-26). In particular, she will work to grow the profile of tennis across the Middle East and play a central role in promoting active and healthy lifestyles to Arab youth. “I am certain that having a tournament here and making the children see it makes it feel reachable,” she says. “I think having a presence is important so the children can have role models—so they can see us. Surprisingly, during our second trip to Riyadh we had even more children.”
Saudi's Growing Tennis Community
Saudi Arabia is actively trying to grow its tennis community.
The Saudi Tennis Federation announced its ambition to inspire 1 million into tennis by 2030, and Mugurunza’s appointment forms part of Saudi’s mission.
In her role, Mugurunza is not only working with professional tennis players but also children and coaches. “We want the kids to focus on concentration and coordination and also just have fun,” she said. “We’re also teaching a lot of coaches because it’s very important to have them know how to use the right tools to teach the next generation.”
Mugurunza’s appointment follows that of renowned tennis coach Judy Murray, mother of ATP stars Andy and Jamie Murray, who will serve as the WTA Finals Community Ambassador. In her role, Murray will, like Mugurunza, head variety of grassroots-level initiatives, including visits to Saudi schools to conduct coaching clinics and mentoring sessions, while also training local workforces in tennis. The idea of such engagements is to go beyond the sport of tennis to empower the local community.
“You don't have to also aim to be the world number one in everything,” says Mugurunza. “Playing sports and knowing the benefits of having a balanced life, not only through studies, but also through sports, that's very important.”
Spreading the Joy of Tennis in the Kingdom
Sportsmanship, preparing for a match also helps to train one’s mind and character, says Mugurunza. “Once you have a tournament like the WTA Finals which is so hard to qualify for, you become very stressed and very nervous,” she says. “There was no secret recipe that you could put together to feel calm. You just have to go through the storm and face the nerves.”
What has always helped her is training, eating healthy and doing all she can to prepare for her opponent. In terms of mindfulness, she believes positive thinking always helps but sometimes you just have to “move on, move on, move on” like the game of tennis. “Once you do that and compete then you're prepared and that’s the only thing that you can count on because you never know the outcome,” adds Mugurunza.
“For children, my effort is to make sports about having fun.” Beyond her new role and work in Riyadh, Mugurunza is also immersing herself in Saudi culture and urban life in the Saudi capital. “Everyone in Saudi is so hospitable,” she says. “Everyone is so eager to invite us out for lunch or dinner. They are very warm. To connect with the local community through sport has been very inspiring.”
Muguruza's Playing Career
During her playing career, Muguruza qualified for the WTA Finals on four occasions.
She won the Billie Jean King Trophy at Guadalajara, Mexico in 2021. She won 10 singles titles, which includes two Grand Slam trophies: Roland-Garros in 2016 and Wimbledon in 2017. Additionally, Muguruza is the only player to have defeated both Serena and Venus Williams in a major final.
Other notable results include three WTA 1000 titles: the China Open in 2015, the Cincinnati Open in 2017 and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in 2021. On September 11, 2017, Muguruza reached No.1 on the PIF WTA Rankings and held the top spot for four weeks. In doubles, she achieved a career-high ranking of No.10 in 2015 and won five titles—three of them alongside Carla Suárez Navarro, with whom she reached the title bout at the WTA Finals in Singapore in 2015.
