The Spanish Garbiñe Muguruza confesses that she felt “very sad” when Wimbledon, one of her favorite tournaments, was canceled, and that in the future it will be “very hard to compete” without fans on the tracks, if the general situation of the pandemic continues.
This is how the double champion of the Grand Slam expresses herself in the last chapter of “Ready for Sport: The Series”, by her sponsor Adidas.
“I felt very sad when Wimbledon was canceled this year,” says Garbiñe. “It is a very important tournament for me: I debuted two finals and finally got the trophy two years ago. It is very shocking to feel that we are all going to have to wait a little longer to play again”
The Spanish born in Caracas, 16 in the world and who this year was a finalist in the Australian Open, has not competed since she was eliminated on February 27 in the quarterfinals of the Doha tournament by the Australian and world number one Ashleigh Barty by 6-1, 6-7 (3) and 6-2,
Since that game, which was then held with an audience in the stands, Garbiñe feels that he misses the presence of the fans on the courts. “I love the track. I love the crowd in the stands. It's what makes butterflies in my stomach, which makes me nervous. Go out and see thousands of people who have come specifically to see me play – I just love it,” he says.
“It will be very hard to compete without 'fans'. The fans are part of me, it is what motivates me to go out on the track and compete. However, it is clear that we all have to adapt to the circumstances and we will have to be humble and do whatever it takes to get back on track, “he adds.
“Controlling impulses is something very important for an athlete,” continues Garbiñe. “It is especially so in individual sports, because you're out there all alone and you need to control your own emotions,” he says of his attitude on the court. “For me, it is something I have worked on and improved on over the years. I am a very emotional person, and on the track you have to be calm, think before acting. This is something that requires a lot of energy and work.”