How Garbiñe Muguruza found her “identity” after walking away from tennis

There’s life after tennis, and Garbiñe Muguruza is determined to make the most of it. The former world No. 1 recently graced the cover of the upcoming October 2024 issue of Mujerhoy, for a wide-ranging discussion five months after announcing her retirement from the sport.

“I would have never said that I would do it at 30,” Muguruza tells journalist María José Barrero. “I did know that my career wouldn’t be as long as Serena Williams or Rafa Nadal because of my own approach to sport, which has been very intense.

“When from the age of three you only think about tennis, tennis, tennis, you don't see beyond that. I even thought that I would lose my identity if I stopped playing.”

Now, the two-time Grand Slam winner is channeling her competitive drive into new ventures and professional projects—starting with a dive right back into tennis as tournament director of the 2024 WTA Finals in Riyadh.

But first, a more personal project: Muguruza is currently in full-blown wedding planning mode, as she prepares to wed fiance Arthur Borges in Marbella on October 5.

Read More: Garbiñe Muguruza named tournament director of season-ending WTA Finals in Saudi Arabia

Pictured at a photoshoot in Madrid captured by Tomas de la Fuente and styled by Almudena Carnicero, Muguruza was seen wearing pieces by Hermes, Michael Kors, Carolina Herrera and more, paired with accessories by Bulgari and Rolex. The longtime Rolex testimonee dipped into her watch collection for the occasion, with Muguruza seen wearing a GMT-Master II and a yellow gold Sky-Dweller in a few of the shots.

Read More: In a tennis career akin to a comet, Garbiñe Muguruza built a style all her own

The 30-year-old called time back in April, marking the end of what Tennis.com’s Joel Drucker described as “a tennis career akin to a comet.” It was that same high intensity, and the toll it took to maintain it, that eventually led her to hang up her racquets, Muguruza tells Mujerhoy.

“Sport is dedication, sacrifice, discipline, competition,” she says. “Everyone is trying to take your spot, and that wears you down a lot. It's hard to maintain, it has an expiration date...

“Mine has been an explosive career. I'm not a consistent, regular player, I never was.”

After scaling to the top of the WTA rankings and lifting two Grand Slam trophies, Muguruza is eager to for her next biggest challenge in tennis as the first former player to take on the role of tournament director at the WTA Finals.

Thankfully, she'll already be coming in with plenty of experience, having won the season-ending tournament in 2021 when it was held in Guadalajara.

“I feel very honored and excited about this opportunity, which will allow me to learn about everything that goes into a competition,” Muguruza said of the event, which she hopes to transform into a “showcase for women’s tennis that not only grows the game, but also encourages fans and especially girls and women to pursue their dreams.”