Muguruza, Consultant for Tennis Channel: "In Everything I Do, I Feel Like a Beginner Everywhere"
At 31, Garbiñe Muguruza is now retired. Her last match on the tour dates back to the Lyon tournament in 2023, where she was eliminated in the first round by Linda Noskova. The Spanish player, who won Wimbledon and Roland-Garros among other titles in her career, confirmed last spring that she would not return to the circuit.
But Muguruza hasn’t left the tennis world entirely. Now a consultant for Tennis Channel, the former world No. 1 is behind the scenes at the biggest tournaments in the world and recently even interviewed Carlos Alcaraz for the media.
The 2021 WTA Finals champion reflected on her first months since announcing her retirement, which have been marked by her new role as a TV consultant.
"At first, I never thought I’d be back here so quickly. I was like, ‘Okay, I’m retiring. Goodbye, everyone!’ But in the end, that only lasts for a little while, you know?
For example, I didn’t want to see a tennis ball for three or four years. But then, I don’t know. I think tennis wants me back! That’s what I know. It’s a part of me, it’s in my heart. So I’m happy to be here again.
In everything I do, I feel like a beginner everywhere. So even though it’s a familiar environment, it’s a new role for me, and I’m enjoying it so far.
I love seeing familiar faces and being part of the tournaments, but in a different way. Being here with Tennis Channel, doing interviews, talking to players… it’s my new job, and I feel like it’s a learning process.
I’m keeping up with what’s happening in tennis now that I’m doing match commentary, and I want to stay informed. I want to be prepared. I want to see who’s winning and who’s losing, I want to know everything. It’s fun to do it from home, and then occasionally visit the tournaments."
Muguruza, who won ten WTA titles in her career, also touched on the business side of tennis, which she truly discovered when she served as tournament director for the WTA Finals last year in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
"It’s insane. The amount of work, the number of people, all the teamwork needed to put every piece together, the investment in terms of money, time, effort, the attention to detail…
Obviously, when I was a player, I knew nothing about this. We’d arrive at tournaments, and everything was already built, the fridges were stocked with drinks. And I expected that every time because we almost took it for granted.
I wish I had known more about this when I was a player. But when you’re playing, you’re in your own world. When you have to focus, you don’t care about the other stuff. That’s normal. I was like that. But in the end, it’s interesting and really important to learn all these things," she concluded.
