A year into retirement, Garbiñe Muguruza reconnects: “Tennis wants me back!”

MIAMI—As Garbiñe Muguruza looked out over the warm-up area at Hard Rock Stadium, watching dozens of players and their teams prepare for the Miami Open, a thought ran through her mind:

“I don’t miss that at all!” she tells TENNIS.com, laughing as we sit in an air-conditioned suite.

The Spaniard announced her retirement from professional tennis almost a year ago this week, ending an “indefinite hiatus” that had kept her away from the tour since January 2023. No longer driven by the week-in, week-out grind of the WTA calendar—and with her attention shifting to family—Muguruza hung up her racquets at 30 years old, leaving behind a career that included two Grand Slam titles.

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But unlike her hiatus, which saw Muguruza dive into hobbies like Zumba, travel and just about anything that didn’t involve tennis, the next chapter of her life seems to be bringing her full circle.

“At the beginning, I never thought that I was going to come back here so quickly,” Muguruza admits. “I was like, ‘Okay, I’m retiring. Bye everybody!’ But only for a little bit, you know? Like, I don’t want to see a tennis ball for maybe three, four years.

“But then, I don’t know. I think that tennis wants me back! And this—it’s what I know. It’s a part of me; it’s in my heart. So I’m happy to be here again.”

In some ways, it’s like she never left. The former world No. 1 has remained plugged into her sport, but from a different angle. In Miami, she was in town to try her hand as host of Tennis Channel’s new VIP Tennis Lounge series. Muguruza brought her bubbly personality, in both English and Spanish, as she interviewed one-time rivals, rising stars—and even her former coach, Spanish great Conchita Martínez.

The series follows her recent stints doing TV commentary during Indian Wells, as well as her role as tournament director of the WTA Finals in Riyadh.

“Everything I do, I feel like I’m the rookie everywhere! So even if it’s a familiar environment, it’s a new role for me that I love so far,” she says.

“I love seeing familiar faces and being a part of the tournaments—but in a different way. Being here with Tennis Channel, doing interviews, getting to talk to the players… this is my new job now, and I feel like it’s all a learning process.”

Born in Venezuela and raised in Spain, the 31-year-old newlywed currently lives in Switzerland with her husband, Arthur Borges, and their pug, Gordi. She still hasn’t played tennis “seriously” since calling time on her career, save for a few kids’ clinics. But according to social media, her days are filled with travel, work with the Laureus Foundation and physical pursuits such as padel and skiing. That’s no surprise for a player who once summited Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, as a way to unwind during the 2019 off-season.

For the two-time Grand Slam champion, what has come as a surprise is her growing interest in the media and operations side of the sport. She’s far from the first tennis-player-turned-TV-commentator, but she approaches the role with the same focused intensity she once reserved for big finals.

“I keep up so much with the tennis world now because I’m commenting, and I want to be on top of things,” she says. “I want to be prepared. I want to see who’s winning and who’s losing—I want to know everything.

“It’s entertaining to do it from home, and then once in a while come and visit the tournaments.”

This—it’s what I know. It’s a part of me; it’s in my heart. So I’m happy to be here again. Garbine Muguruza

Staying in the loop means Muguruza has also followed the growing discontent among players regarding the systems that govern tennis—from debates about the calendar, to litigation against the tours, and demands for more prize money from the Grand Slams.

Muguruza got a firsthand look at the business side of tennis during her time as tournament director for last year’s WTA Finals. The 2021 champion saw just how much work goes into making an event happen, and believes active players would also benefit from understanding that perspective.

“It’s insane—the amount of work, the number of people, all the teamwork you need to put every piece together,” she explains. “Just the investment of money, time, effort, attention to detail…

“Obviously, when I was a player, I didn’t know any of that. We arrive when everything is already built, everything looks pretty, the fridges are full of drinks. And I expect that—we almost take it for granted that it will be there."

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“I wish I knew more when I was a player about this whole side of things," she added. "But also, you’re in your own world. When you have to focus, you don’t care about other stuff. It’s normal. I was the same. But it’s just interesting, and very important to learn all of these things.”

On Monday, Muguruza stepped out in Madrid to attend the Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony, reuniting once again with major figures in tennis and sports. She shared snapshots with Carlos Alcaraz, Lindsey Vonn, Simone Biles and more on social media.

One year earlier, in that same place, the Spaniard had waved goodbye to tennis for good. Though her playing days may indeed be over, Muguruza is now proving that her power in tennis was never limited to the court.