By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, November 9, 2021
Garbiñe Muguruza celebrates the WTA Finals hitting new heights and shares why the first South American edition of the season-ending event is important.
Photo credit: Garbiñe Muguruza Intagram
Epic elevation challenges players at the WTA Finals in Guadalajara this week.
Garbiñe Muguruza is celebrating the tournament hitting new heights.
More: This is Biggest Factor for WTA Finals
The former world No. 1 returns to the WTA Finals for the first time since 2017. Muguruza welcomes the prestigious year-end event as a prominent peak for Latin American tennis.
The 50th anniversary of the WTA Finals marks a milestone as the first time a South American city hosts the tournament, which returns to its 2019 home in Shenzhen, China next year. This is the first time a Spanish-speaking nation has hosted the WTA Finals since Madrid's two-year run as host ended in 2007.
“To be really honest, I never thought that Latin America would held a Masters Final just because it is very complicated, many aspects,” Muguruza said.
The Caracas, Venezuela-born Muguruza says playing in South America inspires pride—and hopefully a platform to propel the sport’s popularity in South America.
“It's always great to play the WTA Final, but not the same for me playing China to playing Latin America. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Muguruza told the media in her pre-tournament presser. “That had a big effect on me. I feel it's great because tennis in Latin America, women's tennis is not a priority. “I feel like now people can see it. I feel like it's kind of something that now it's possible that seemed impossible, and now it's possible.”
Two-time Grand Slam champion Muguruza brought the buzz to social media posting video of her high-stepping her way through the streets of Guadalajara.
Dancing days are here again for Spanish tennis. Muguruza and tournament debutant Paula Badosa make this the first WTA Finals to feature multiple Spaniards since 2000 when Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario and Conchita Martinez, Muguruza’s coach, were in the field for the final season-ending event staged at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Both Indian Wells champion Badosa and Muguruza should enjoy major support from the Mexican crowd.
“I do feel we could be the fan favorite just because we have a similar culture, Latin-speaking in general culture,” Muguruza said. “I feel it's great. It's been a long time, 21 years, since two Spanish players were qualified both for the Finals. It's a great achievement to have two players in the top of the elite. Looking forward.”
While excitement is sky-high, players have experienced the degree of difficulty Guadalajara’s 5,100-foot elevation poses seeing balls fly during practice week.
In an interview with the Australian Associated Press, Craig Tyzzer, coach of world No. 1 Ash Barty who is not playing the tournament, suggested it's madness to stage the the WTA's crown jewel in challenging conditions. A Wilson high-altitude ball will be used for the tournament. Tyzzer questioned the logic of asking the elite eight players to play with balls at a lofty elevation they are unaccustomed playing.
"Pressure-less balls absolutely fly. It's a ball that, if you use it in normal conditions, it doesn't bounce. It's not the greatest advertisement for the best girls in the world to be playing something they've never done before,” Tyzzer told the Australian Associated Press. “[To play in] conditions they’ve never played, in a country they don’t play and at altitude, I just feel it’s ridiculous.
“As a spectacle, it’s just frightening.”
The flat-hitting Muguruza believes she’s making daily progress adjusting to the rare air.
“I have not experienced anything like this before, this altitude. I've definitely played well in Mexico in other conditions,” Muguruza said. “It's a great, great feeling to be in Mexico and having the Mexican crowd tomorrow on court.
"Just struggling to get used to conditions because I've never experienced anything like that, like what I said before. But looking forward, every day getting a little bit better. Hopefully tomorrow I can get the best version of myself there.”
The fifth-ranked Spaniard, who won back-to-back Monterrey titles in 2018 and 2019, is hopeful the presence of Spanish-speaking contenders in the field will inspire young girls in Latin America to get into the game.
“I feel like this is going to motivate young girls from Spain, from Latin America, that they can relate to and hear us talk, get a more familiar feeling of tennis, not always seeing far or foreigner players,” Muguruza said. “I feel like this time they can be more close to us.”