The American tennis player defeated the Spanish player 13 years ago in this tournament, starting a romance that has continued 13 years later with two consecutive titles.
Garbiñe Muguruza
The Spanish woman, recently appointed Director of the Mutua Madrid Open alongside Feliciano López, was questioned about the separation of the world number one... and she did not hold back her opinion.
Garbiñe Muguruza spoke on El Partidazo de Cope after being named co-director of the Mutua Madrid Open, a professional challenge that motivates the former Spanish tennis player a lot. When asked about the difference between men's and women's tennis, taking advantage of the upcoming Battle of the Sexes between Sabalenka and Kyrgios in a few weeks, Garbiñe was very clear.
"The superiority of men is not only based on power, but also on physical endurance, musculature, among many other things. I remember never being able to beat my brothers, and I also had male hitting partners, who were not professionals, and I could never win a set against them. A guy who is ranked 1,000 in the world or doesn’t even have a ranking could be far superior to a top-10 player on the WTA circuit. When I was at my best level, being World No. 1, I wouldn't have even beaten a junior," she concluded.
🎾 Which male tennis player would @GarbiMuguruza have beaten?
— El Partidazo de COPE (@partidazocope) December 11, 2025
🤔 "I think a junior would have beaten me even when I was number one"
➡️ "There is a big difference between boys and girls"
📻 #PartidazoCOPE pic.twitter.com/b0TDaM8s0k
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Muguruza: "Un chico junior me hubiera ganado cuando yo era número 1 del mundo"
The director of the Mutua Madrid Open revealed the big changes that the tournament will have in 2026, in addition to praising the figure of the Spanish and Italian tennis players.
Garbiñe Muguruza has been presented as co-director of the Mutua Madrid Open and in one of the various interviews she has given, specifically with Teledeporte, she spoke about her compatriot Carlos Alcaraz: "I take my hat off to everything he is achieving. It's very difficult to surpass what he has done this year; he is very motivated, from what I see, for this Australian Open, which is the one he is missing. But what can I say, such talent, so young, so much self-assurance... How can someone be so good, so young, and so fast? It's a mystery to me, on top of that smile and naturalness he has."
"He's a unique being. Who would have thought that after Rafa Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz would come? We are all amazed, I am very happy to have a role model for the youth like Alcaraz, it couldn't be better, it's ideal," said the 2016 French Open and 2017 Wimbledon champion.
Garbiñe Muguruza (@GarbiMuguruza) praises @carlosalcaraz:
— Teledeporte (@teledeporte) December 11, 2025
"How can someone be so good, so young, and so fast?"
"Who would have thought that after Nadal, Alcaraz would arrive?" pic.twitter.com/4GboGgiEZb
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Muguruza, sobre Alcaraz: "¿Cómo se puede ser tan bueno, tan joven y tan rápido?"
Novel and unprecedented news is announced by the Mutua Madrid Open 2026. Garbiñe Muguruza has become a co-director of the Madrid tournament starting from its next edition, joining Feliciano López in their roles as heads of the Spanish Masters 1000. It is the first tournament on the circuit to have two directors, an unprecedented perspective so far that reinforces the commitment of the capital tournament to innovation. The idea comes from Gerard Tsobanian, CEO of the tournament, and leaves Madrid with the leadership of two Spanish tennis legends.
Garbiñe Muguruza becomes co-director of the Mutua Madrid Open.
— #MMOPEN (@MutuaMadridOpen) December 11, 2025
More: https://t.co/KHlGGGRmkU pic.twitter.com/07Pxp5c4GW
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Garbiñe Muguruza, nueva codirectora del Mutua Madrid Open
Garbiñe Muguruza will be a mother. That's what the former Spanish tennis player has hinted at in a post on her social media, where she is presumably seen pregnant, and captioned it "Family," in some photos taken with her partner Arthur Borges. So, the champion of Roland Garros and Wimbledon is thus embarking on a new chapter in her life.
💖 Family 💖 pic.twitter.com/ulgntXRYiH
— Garbiñe Muguruza (@GarbiMuguruza) September 28, 2025
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Muguruza confirma su embarazo a través de sus redes sociales
There's something going on with the title of WTA Coach of the Year. The award for the best coach seems to be cursed because all those coaches who have been awarded have ended up parting ways with their player within a few months. The latest case is that of Renzo Furlan with Jasmine Paolini. But back in 2023, it was Tomasz Wiktorowski who received the award, coaching Iga Swiatek. Also in 2022, it was David Witt, former coach of Jessica Pegula. In 2021, the winner was Conchita Martínez for her great year with Garbiñe Muguruza, but she had the same fate as the mentioned coaches. In 2020, another one of Swiatek's coaches, Piotr Sierzputowski, was the lucky one. While in 2019, it was the coach of Ashleigh Barty, Craig Tizzer, and in 2019, the coach of Naomi Osaka, Sascha Bajin. It will be interesting to see who receives the award this year and how long they last coaching their player.
Being coach of the year is a poison chalice… pic.twitter.com/5eCRtKPMIs
— Mark Petchey (@_markpetchey) March 31, 2025
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La maldición del Entrenador del Año de la WTA
The American tennis player defeated the Spanish player 13 years ago in this tournament, starting a romance that has continued 13 years later with two consecutive titles.
The director of the Mutua Madrid Open revealed the big changes that the tournament will have in 2026, in addition to praising the figure of the Spanish and Italian tennis players.
The Spanish woman, recently appointed Director of the Mutua Madrid Open alongside Feliciano López, was questioned about the separation of the world number one... and she did not hold back her opinion.
Garbiñe Muguruza has been presented as co-director of the Mutua Madrid Open and in one of the various interviews she has given, specifically with Teledeporte, she spoke about her compatriot Carlos Alcaraz: "I take my hat off to everything he is achieving. It's very difficult to surpass what he has done this year; he is very motivated, from what I see, for this Australian Open, which is the one he is missing. But what can I say, such talent, so young, so much self-assurance... How can someone be so good, so young, and so fast? It's a mystery to me, on top of that smile and naturalness he has."
"He's a unique being. Who would have thought that after Rafa Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz would come? We are all amazed, I am very happy to have a role model for the youth like Alcaraz, it couldn't be better, it's ideal," said the 2016 French Open and 2017 Wimbledon champion.
Garbiñe Muguruza (@GarbiMuguruza) praises @carlosalcaraz:
— Teledeporte (@teledeporte) December 11, 2025
"How can someone be so good, so young, and so fast?"
"Who would have thought that after Nadal, Alcaraz would arrive?" pic.twitter.com/4GboGgiEZb
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Muguruza, sobre Alcaraz: "¿Cómo se puede ser tan bueno, tan joven y tan rápido?"
Garbiñe Muguruza spoke on El Partidazo de Cope after being named co-director of the Mutua Madrid Open, a professional challenge that motivates the former Spanish tennis player a lot. When asked about the difference between men's and women's tennis, taking advantage of the upcoming Battle of the Sexes between Sabalenka and Kyrgios in a few weeks, Garbiñe was very clear.
"The superiority of men is not only based on power, but also on physical endurance, musculature, among many other things. I remember never being able to beat my brothers, and I also had male hitting partners, who were not professionals, and I could never win a set against them. A guy who is ranked 1,000 in the world or doesn’t even have a ranking could be far superior to a top-10 player on the WTA circuit. When I was at my best level, being World No. 1, I wouldn't have even beaten a junior," she concluded.
🎾 Which male tennis player would @GarbiMuguruza have beaten?
— El Partidazo de COPE (@partidazocope) December 11, 2025
🤔 "I think a junior would have beaten me even when I was number one"
➡️ "There is a big difference between boys and girls"
📻 #PartidazoCOPE pic.twitter.com/b0TDaM8s0k
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Muguruza: "Un chico junior me hubiera ganado cuando yo era número 1 del mundo"
Novel and unprecedented news is announced by the Mutua Madrid Open 2026. Garbiñe Muguruza has become a co-director of the Madrid tournament starting from its next edition, joining Feliciano López in their roles as heads of the Spanish Masters 1000. It is the first tournament on the circuit to have two directors, an unprecedented perspective so far that reinforces the commitment of the capital tournament to innovation. The idea comes from Gerard Tsobanian, CEO of the tournament, and leaves Madrid with the leadership of two Spanish tennis legends.
Garbiñe Muguruza becomes co-director of the Mutua Madrid Open.
— #MMOPEN (@MutuaMadridOpen) December 11, 2025
More: https://t.co/KHlGGGRmkU pic.twitter.com/07Pxp5c4GW
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Garbiñe Muguruza, nueva codirectora del Mutua Madrid Open
Garbiñe Muguruza will be a mother. That's what the former Spanish tennis player has hinted at in a post on her social media, where she is presumably seen pregnant, and captioned it "Family," in some photos taken with her partner Arthur Borges. So, the champion of Roland Garros and Wimbledon is thus embarking on a new chapter in her life.
💖 Family 💖 pic.twitter.com/ulgntXRYiH
— Garbiñe Muguruza (@GarbiMuguruza) September 28, 2025
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Muguruza confirma su embarazo a través de sus redes sociales
There's something going on with the title of WTA Coach of the Year. The award for the best coach seems to be cursed because all those coaches who have been awarded have ended up parting ways with their player within a few months. The latest case is that of Renzo Furlan with Jasmine Paolini. But back in 2023, it was Tomasz Wiktorowski who received the award, coaching Iga Swiatek. Also in 2022, it was David Witt, former coach of Jessica Pegula. In 2021, the winner was Conchita Martínez for her great year with Garbiñe Muguruza, but she had the same fate as the mentioned coaches. In 2020, another one of Swiatek's coaches, Piotr Sierzputowski, was the lucky one. While in 2019, it was the coach of Ashleigh Barty, Craig Tizzer, and in 2019, the coach of Naomi Osaka, Sascha Bajin. It will be interesting to see who receives the award this year and how long they last coaching their player.
Being coach of the year is a poison chalice… pic.twitter.com/5eCRtKPMIs
— Mark Petchey (@_markpetchey) March 31, 2025
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La maldición del Entrenador del Año de la WTA
With her victory over Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Australian Open, Paula Badosa has just reached her first Grand Slam semifinal. A historic milestone for her, but also for Spanish women's tennis, as the Catalan has become the fourth Spanish female player to reach this stage in the Open Era following Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, Conchita Martínez, and Garbiñe Muguruza.
4 - Paula Badosa has become only the fourth Spanish player in the Open Era to reach a Women’s Singles semi-final at a Grand Slam event – Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, Conchita Martinez and Garbine Muguruza. Ready.#AO2025 | @AustralianOpen @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/cHAjjz4gP5
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) January 21, 2025
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Badosa, cuarta española en semifinales de un Grand Slam
Names like Nadal, Thiem, Murray, Muguruza, or Kerber decided to hang up the racket in a year that also hides other endings that didn't receive as much attention.