Jet lag weighs down the spirits of Garbiñe Muguruza, who has just arrived from his vacation in the Caribbean. It has been less than 24 hours since he has landed in Spain and his agenda accumulates with pending commitments, among them the reception of the Kings of Felipe VI and Letizia. Before and after, it attends different media, at a rate of five minutes each, at the headquarters of Caser Seguros (the brand that sponsors it) in the Plaza de la Lealtad in Madrid. It is the beginning of her return to work after the period of vacation she took after winning the Teachers’ Cup, the greatest milestone of her career along with the victories at Roland Garros in 2016 and Wimbledon in 2017. Who today attends EL PERIÓDICO DE ESPAÑA, in short, is one of the athletes of the moment.
Question. It has been two weeks since her victory in the Masters Cup. What have you dedicated them to?
Answer. Basically to rest and enjoy a little of this year. Not only the last tournament, but also a great year, which on the other hand has also been a difficult one, due to the whole issue of bubbles, protocols and others. I have been able to enjoy this victory more, because normally in tennis, you have a good tournament and you have to go to the other one right away. You don’t even have time to enjoy yourself. And this time I have been able, I have been so lucky, it was the last tournament of the season and I had a cut to do what I wanted.
Q. Are you happier today than then?
A. Yes, of course. In the end, you work so hard and so hard to achieve the great goals, to win the great trophies. Winning the Teachers Cup is a reward and a reward for all that effort.
Q. Does a victory of this type change your life?
A. I don’t think it will change my life. Within my world of tennis it is a great achievement and maybe a little in that sense yes, but my life continues the same as before.
Q. Do they recognize you more?
R. Maybe some more people do, especially in Latin America.
Q. He assures that having won this title in Latin America, where he was born, has been a plus.
R. It has been the key that it was done there and that they have given Latin America the opportunity to host such an important tournament. Events and references are missing and personally I have received it with great enthusiasm. When I found out that it was going to be done there, it was an immense motivation to win the trophy.
Q. Did it emotionally encourage you during the tournament?
A. Totally. The feeling that the public in Mexico has transmitted to me, I don’t know … For me it has that extra that, perhaps at a certain moment, when you need to pull the reserve, it gives you one more point of energy. I feel like it influenced me a lot.
Q. Complete the sentence. 2021 has been the year of his …
R. Well … I could not give a single word. But it would be one related to stability and tranquility.
Q. What is a better tennis player today than a year ago?
R. The most important change has been when it comes to managing emotions, managing the bad moments or the most difficult moments of anxiety and frustration. The management of what goes through your head, in general.
P. The change or improvement is then more emotional than technical.
A. I think so. Technically you are improving, but I think I have always had the talent, I have shown it in other tournaments, in grand slams. But mentally I have made a progression as an athlete, of maturity.
Q. Does age help you digest great successes with greater temperance?
A. Age helps in everything, and not only in sports, but in life in general: to see things with a little more perspective or softness in difficult moments. And in the case of the athlete, who is all shorter, it is even more noticeable.
P. What do you need to be more regularly in the great finals of the circuit?
R. That is the search of every athlete, I have always worked on it. In any case, it has never been my highest priority, I have always prioritized being on top for big events, but I always work on it, because in the end, if you want to achieve success, everything is related. I have done work and this year I have been able to harvest more than others.
Q. What is your main goal in 2022?
R. Beyond the big tournaments, which are always clear objectives and never change, just continue with this inertia with which I have been working, with this great team that I have. Without making big changes, continuing in that line.
Father Alexia Putellas, Sandra Sánchez, Carolina Marin, Paula Badosa, you … Are we facing the outbreak of a golden age for Spanish athletes?
A. I think so. Spanish sport has always had many triumphs and this is a golden moment. The female part is being spectacular, we have to give it visibility, rejoice about it and that people enjoy these successes.
Q. How can your successes be used to promote real equality in sport?
R. The example is clear. At the same level of quality, there should be the same level of investment, visibility, work at the base … Why not? I have never understood that it is not like that, the opportunities have to be the same, we also deserve it and it shows at the level: you work and you also get things.
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