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All you need to know about French Open champion Garbine Muguruza
Spain’s Garbine Muguruza claimed the first French Open title of her career after beating defending champion Serena Williams 7-5 6-4 in Paris.
Spain’s Garbine Muguruza claimed the first French Open title of her career after beating defending champion Serena Williams 7-5 6-4 in Paris on Saturday.
Here’s a look at everything you need to know about the newly crowned French Open champion:
Born: Caracas, Venezuela, on October 8, 1993 (Age: 22)
Grand Slam career best results: Australian Open - fourth round (2014-15); French Open - winner 2016; Wimbledon - runner-up (2015); U.S. Open - second round (2015)
* Muguruza is the first Spanish woman to win the Roland Garros title since Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario in 1998.
* Muguruza dropped only one set in reaching the final, against Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in round one.
READ: Garbine Muguruza wins maiden French Open title, beats Serena in the final
* Muguruza was also the last player to defeat Serena Williams at Roland Garros, beating the American 6-2 6-2 in the second round in 2014.
* The French Open title was just Muguruza’s third on the main women’s tour, after the Hobart International in 2014 and the China Open in 2015
*Serena Williams and Pete Sampras were her favourite tennis players as a child.
* Muguruza won the title for the loss of only one set.
MAKING HER NAME
* Trained at the Bruguera Tennis Academy near Barcelona.
* Turned pro in 2011 and won four titles on the ITF circuit.
CAREER TO DATE
* In 2012 she scored her first win against a top-10 player (Vera Zvonareva) in Miami in her second WTA main draw match. Won her first singles title at Hobart in 2014 and ended the year ranked 21 in the world.
* Breakthrough season in 2015. Won the Beijing title and reached Wimbledon final and qualified for WTA Finals, where she reached the semis. Rose to world number three by end of year.
* Slow start to 2016, but form returned at Miami where she reached last 16 and lost a tight battle against Victoria Azarenka. Semi-finalist in Rome.
* Coached by Frenchman Sam Sumyk who has also worked with Victoria Azarenka and Eugenie Bouchard.
