Garbiñe Muguruza is the second in the 'race' and points to the top-10

“Garbiñe's week was flawless, a very high level of play and adaptation to adversity,” read the tweet from Conchita Martinez at the end of the fabulous Garbiñe Muguruza's victory in the final of the WTA 1000 in Dubai. It was not for less, since it is the first title of this fabulous union between 'teacher and apprentice' that augurs such good successes in the future. More than overcome, the ups and downs of the past remain, the result of the stormy professional relationship that Caracas lived with her former coach Sam Sumyk, with a change towards a positive mentality and perseverance due to the good results that Garbiñe is giving so much in this 2021. Green shoots were already seen last year with his final at the Australian Open, despite falling to Sofia Kenin, and this course have been confirmed when Mugu He has put an end to a two-year drought without titles (Monterrey, as the last precedent) with eighth in his record.

Garbiñe's renewed mental strength also represents a change in the trend in his performance, especially in a start of the campaign in which historically it was not used to shine. The only time that Garbiñe won a title at this stage of the season was precisely with the trophy that inaugurated his record in Hobart (Australia), on January 11, 2014, against the Czech Klára Zakopalová (see table).

All this, in the middle of March, leaves several positive readings. The first one is that Garbiñe adds more victories than any other tennis player in this course, with a total of 18. This allows him, with a title in three finals, to occupy second place in the annual 'race', only surpassed by the Japanese Naomi Osaka, her executioner in the last Australian Open in which she was eventually crowned champion. Is also already on the heels of the top-10 (Monday will be 13th, 336 points behind the tenth), something fundamental for the Grand Slams to avoid the great favorites of the circuit until the final rounds. With this fearsome version of Mugu you have to count for everything.