Make no mistake about it, Serena Williams is a tennis legend, but even legends have to hang up the racket at some point, and Serena is undeniably closer to the end of her career than the beginning. This, combined with Maria Sharapova’s suspension, suggests that in the coming years there will almost certainly be a void atop the ranks of ladies’ tennis. Here at ATA, we believe Garbine Muguruza can, and will, fill that void.
The Venezuelan born, Spanish raised 22-year-old turned pro back in 2011, but she truly began to take the tennis world by storm in the last few years, culminating in her victory in this year’s French Open.
We are not the only ones singing her praises. Speaking after Muguruza defeated Serena Williams in Paris, Chris Evert stated that “a star is born,” and favourably compared the young star’s game to Jennifer Capriati’s, noting its power, style and tenacity. A noteworthy sports marketing company in the United States has even predicted that the graceful, athletic Spaniard will be the 14th most marketable athlete over the next three years.
Oh, and did we forget to mention that she is currently ranked second in the WTA, trailing only the aforementioned legend, Serena Williams? And that she’s already the face of Adidas by Stella McCartney? And that, in addition to boasting an excellent reputation on the court, she is known throughout the tennis community as a humble, hardworking and personable individual?
As she is rising up the ranks and being primed for a long career atop ladies’ tennis, Muguruza is also a pretty big deal back in her home country of Spain. With Rafael Nadal, the Spanish have had no shortage of boast worthy tennis exports the past few years, but when it comes to the fairer sex, one has to go all the way back to Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Conchita Martinez in the nineties to find the last time Spain had a serious female contender.
Only time will tell if Muguruza will one day become the next great female tennis player, but one thing is for sure: With her spectacular play and likable personality, Muguruza has the attention of tennis fans in Hong Kong, Spain and elsewhere across the globe every time she hits the court!
SOURCE:
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-36584874
