"The more she has been criticized, the more she has reaffirmed herself" - Muguruza speaks on Serena Williams
WTA
Serena Williams retired from tennis at the 2022 US Open, but her former rivals, including Garbine Muguruza, continue to show how respected she was on the WTA Tour.
Arguably the greatest female tennis player of all time retired at the 2022 US Open. Serena Williams changed the sport, not only by how she played, but also thanks to her off-court activities.
She has been an important figure in women's tennis, and that's also something that one of her former rivals, Garbine Mugruza, recognizes as well.
Muguruza and Williams played against each other six times, with each player winning three of those matches. Now, after the legend's retirement, the Spanish player sat down with El Pais, talking about the 23-time Grand Slam winner.
"She is a controversial woman who, when she does something, she does it full throttle. She grows in the face of adversity: the more she has been criticized, the more she has reaffirmed herself."
"She’s become stronger, more groundbreaking and more rebellious. She is an iconoclast who has broken all the molds."
During the same interview, Muguruza also admitted that reading about Williams' retirement made her cry. The Spanish player knows Serena's importance when it comes to women's tennis, and she wasn't afraid to admit how much her former rival meant to her.
"I must confess that recently, after reading the news of her retirement, I shed a few tears. I cried when she told us she was retiring, which is very rare for me. Somehow, her goodbye has shut down something inside me; something was extinguished."
"When she announced that it was time to evolve and take the next step, which is only logical and perfectly fine, I thought: No, Serena’s leaving! Now what? Now who’s going to be the one to really lead tennis, to be an unmatched role model that we can look up to? Who will take on the legend’s mantle? That’s how much she means to me."
