CLAY COURTSHIP
Muguruza wins French Open final, denying Serena’s latest bid to equal Graf’s Open-era record of 22 major titles.
Garbine Muguruza of Spain wins the French Open, denying Serena Williams’ bid for a record-tying 22nd major championship.
PARIS — The day before the French Open final, Serena Williams’ coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, was discussing whether his player would need to lift her level to beat Garbine Muguruza and collect a record-equaling 22nd Grand Slam title.
“I don’t know why everybody’s so impressed with Garbine,” Mouratoglou said. “Did she win a Slam ever?”
His comment, accompanied by a chuckle, was intended in a lighthearted way. About 24 hours later, his question required a new answer.
Muguruza won her first major trophy and prevented Williams yet again from collecting No. 22, outplaying the defending champion in a 7-5, 6-4 victory at Roland Garros on Saturday.
“She has a bright future, obviously,” said Williams, who at 34 is 12 years older than her Spanish opponent. “She knows how to play on the big stage and clearly, she knows how to win Grand Slams.”
The fourth-seeded Muguruza used her big groundstrokes to keep No. 1 Williams off-balance and overcame signs of nerves in the form of nine doublefaults. She broke Williams’ serve four times, including three in a row.
“I can’t explain with words what this day means to me,” Muguruza said.
This was her second major final; she lost to Williams at Wimbledon last year. But Muguruza has won her last two matches against Williams on the clay of Roland Garros, including in the second round in 2014.
“They key? I just have a very aggressive game,” said Muguruza, whose three career tournament titles are 67 fewer than Williams’ total. “I go for my shots with no regrets.”
For Williams, Saturday’s loss postponed her pursuit of Steffi Graf ’s Openera mark of 22 major singles championships. Margaret Court holds the alltime record of 24.
Williams got No. 21 at Wimbledon in 2015, her fourth major in a row. Since, she was beaten in the U.S. Open semifinals by Roberta Vinci, in the Australian Open final by Angelique Kerber, and now by Muguruza. It’s the first time Williams has lost back-to-back Slam finals.
Mouratoglou said Saturday that chasing a 22nd major “isn’t an obsession” for Williams. “She doesn’t wake up every morning thinking about it. That’s for sure,” he said, then added: “The pressure of leaving an indelible mark on history is incomparable.”
Williams credited Muguruza with playing “unbelievable,” adding: “The only thing I can do is just keep trying.”