Is Muguruza proper heir to Williams sisters?
Spaniard only woman to defeat Serena, Venus
LONDON • Shortly after beating Venus Williams in the Wimbledon final, Garbine Muguruza was given a purple- and- gold circular badge signifying that she is a member of the All England Club, an honorary status accorded to tournament champions.
“I’m like, ‘I’m going to wear it right now,’ ” Muguruza said.
So she attached that hardto-earn pin to her white zippered jacket, just over her heart, and fiddled with the thing while speaking to a small group of reporters Saturday evening.
Muguruza noted that after losing in the 2015 Wimbledon final to Williams’ sister Serena, she didn’t get the same treatment, of course: Runners- up don’t get the membership or its privileges.
“It’s all or nothing,” Muguruza said. “So I’m like, ‘Whew, this year, I finally did it.’ ”
This 7- 5, 6- 0 victory over Venus, combined with Muguruza’s win against Serena in last year’s French Open final, made the 23- year- old Spaniard the only woman to defeat each Williams sister in a Grand Slam title match. That alone marks her as a likely, and worthy, heir to the two women who changed their sport.
Add in Muguruza’s bold, aggressive playing style and affinity for the big stage, and she certainly looks like someone who could keep doing what she wants to do more than anything: win major championships.
That matters more to her than where she is in the rankings. She entered Wimbledon at No. 15, and will rise to No. 5 on Monday.
Her career best is No. 2, but that doesn’t seem to concern Muguruza all that much.
“I don’t know what it feels to be No. 1. Hopefully one day I can — and then I (can) compare,” she said.
The key, she and others agree, will be finding more consistency. Saturday’s final against the older Williams was Muguruza’s first since the 2016 French Open.
To establish her place among the truly elite, she’ll need to more frequently summon the power that she has managed to find on the most stressful occasions.
“Hopefully she can stay a little bit more steady,” said Conchita Martinez, the Spanish Fed Cup and Davis Cup captain who worked with Muguruza during Wimbledon because her regular coach, Sam Sumyk, took time off for the birth of his child.
“The key is to continue routines, continue to work hard,” Martinez said. “And to focus in every tournament you play is important.”