SINGAPORE—She has won just one title this season, but Garbine Muguruza has risen to No. 3 in the world rankings. Maria Sharapova, who like Muguruza finished the round-robin portion of the WTA Finals in Singapore at 3-0, has taken notice of the 22-year-old Spaniard.
"She's a player that everyone has seen and has thought that would do really well. I think her game has developed really well in this past season," Sharapova told TENNIS.com. "She's a Grand Slam finalist at Wimbledon. That says a lot already. She's had a great last few weeks. She seems to be playing great tennis here.
Sharapova, currently No. 4 in the world, won her first Grand Slam when she was 17 years old, and has added four since. The two could face off in the final of the WTA Finals.
"Her path has been going up. I don't think she's plateaued in any way," Sharapova said. "I think she has an incredible amount of potential to grow. We haven't played in a long time. I think last time was in Canada [in 2014, when Sharapova won in three sets]. I know how difficult it is to play against her. She has a powerful game. I'm excited about the opportunity of playing against her again."