Today the mandatory 14-day quarantine that the majority of tennis players in the Open de Australia have had to board in Melbourne. Among them, Garbiñe Muguruza, who has taken advantage of his last hours of confinement to give an interview with The COPE Party and analyze how he has handled this experience, what his relationship with Conchita Martínez is like and some other curiosities of his career. We highlight the most relevant statements.
A tournament conditioned by quarantine
“It is going to be a Grand Slam a bit of a surprise, with results where we will see people who have not arrived well prepared. It is important that no one is injured, because it is a long time without training and being in the room. It will all be very strange, I have tried to prepare as much as possible, playing a previous tournament and next week I will play another. I will put everything I have in my hands so that I can have a good result ”.
Maximum respect for protocols
“I try to keep a good mood, the key is knowing how to adapt to these new situations. I am nobody to give advice but, if I were not here, what I would do is be at home without being able to work. If I want to compete and play, I have no choice but to accept these rules and go through them, we are guests of Australia, everyone who comes has to quarantine and go through that process. Either I do this, or I’ll be on the couch at home, so I’d rather be here. “
Conchita Martínez, the ideal partner
“We have always gotten along very well and that remains. We have known each other since I was 15 years old, we are great companions and I am fortunate to have her on my bench. She is not very hard, she has a lot of empathy and a lot of experience, she knows when to tighten and when to loosen. She has been in my shoes and knows how difficult this is, it is really difficult to find coaches who have gone through this and know how to live in the first person.
Maturity over the years
“At the beginning of my career I was more rebellious, it was more difficult for me to listen and communicate, that part was worse, it was very emotional, more closed. Over time I have been learning more, taking a different perspective, learning to share, not to stay with what may be affecting me. Now I am an angel (laughs), but at first it was more difficult ”.
Relationship with Rafa Nadal
“I get along well with him, we usually see each other around the circuit in some tournaments. We usually talk about tennis, a bit of everything. Last year I was here playing the Australian Open and he was also in the quarterfinals. It was hard for me to sleep, I remember that I went up to him and asked him how he did the night before an important match. He told me that he couldn’t do anything, he had to get annoyed and try to sleep (laughs). Sometimes I ask him this kind of thing, he is a reference ”.
Balance at 27 years old
“I have had a successful career, it has been a long journey since I was a child in South America, with all the effort that goes into it, to winning Grand Slams and being number 1 in the world. My dream now is to continue down that path, to continue feeling capable of winning and being in those great finals. I would like to win the big four, although I think all tennis players dream of that. “
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