Former world no. 1 Garbine Muguruza has been granted a wild-card entry into the 2023 Adelaide International 1 event.
At her best, Muguruza was one of the most feared players on the WTA Tour. The Spaniard's powerful hitting from the baseline reminded fans of Serena Williams, who she played in two Grand Slam finals.
Muguruza's first Grand Slam final at the 2015 Wimbledon Championships ended in a defeat to Serena. She established herself as a crowd favorite at SW19 during the tournament and was brought to tears by the Center Court's ovation during the trophy ceremony.
The 29-year-old got her revenge almost 12 months later at the 2016 French Open. Muguruza produced an outstanding performance to overcome Serena and secure a maiden Grand Slam title.
A second major success at the 2017 Wimbledon Championships followed that a year later. She faced Serena's older sister and five-time champion at SW19, Venus Williams, and beat her in straight sets.
Muguruza was the 2020 Australian Open runner-up and 2021 WTA Finals champion. After finishing 2021 so strongly by winning the WTA Finals, it seemed likely that she would enjoy another successful year in 2022.
Instead, Muguruza endured the most challenging season of her career. The Spaniard ended 2022 outside the Top 50 after not reaching a single final and looking a shadow of the player opponents feared.
Many factors could explain the decline, but Muguruza thinks a lack of confidence was the main reason. Muguruza hopes to address that by starting the 2023 season strongly.
The two-time Grand Slam champion will have an opportunity to do that at the Adelaide International 1 after the organizers gave her a wild card into the main draw. They undoubtedly believe she will boost ticket sales.
The Adelaide International 1 will feature a strong field, with many of the world's top players set to participate. Bianca Andreescu, Ons Jabeur, Aryna Sabalenka, Veronika Kudermerova, and Elena Rybakina are just some of the names on the list.
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