Garbiñe Muguruza ends Spanish women's Wimbledon drought

Vikram Bodas
Spaniards have waited a long time to celebrate a women’s triumph at Wimbledon. (Getty)
Spaniards have waited a long time to celebrate a women’s triumph at Wimbledon. (Getty)

This one was for Spain.

Garbiñe Muguruza defeated five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams on Saturday in straight sets to capture her second career Grand Slam and became the first Spanish woman to win a Wimbledon singles title since Conchita Martínez in 1994.

Fittingly, Martínez has helped coach the 23-year-old in the absence of her regular coach, Sam Sumyk.

Martinez, who won Wimbledon back in 1994, also defeated a 37-year-old en route to victory by besting tennis legend Martina Navratilova.

Muguruza said that she leaned heavily on her fellow countrywoman’s big match experience in preparation for her duel with the elder Williams sister.

“Well, I think I’m here because I’ve done a hard work before,” Muguruza said on Friday. “The magic doesn’t happen just because somebody comes in, and all of a sudden you are incredible. I think she’s helping me how to deal with the tournament, because obviously it’s a Grand Slam, and it’s difficult to handle because it’s two weeks. She has experience.”

Muguruza and Martinez’s special post-match embrace was full of emotions:

Even before the match, Muguruza was determined to find a way to have a Spanish woman’s name once again etched on the winners’ board at the All England Club.

“For the last years, you see a lot of Williams surnames,” Muguruza said, referring to the Williams sisters, who have combined to win a dozen Wimbledon singles titles. “So I look forward to just have it there, I don’t know, to put a Spanish name back there.”

On Saturday, dreams became reality.

After her stunning performance in the final against Venus in which she showed tremendous poise, Muguruza once again had country – first-and-foremost – on her mind.

“I don’t know,” Muguruza said in her post-match interview. “Finally a Spanish girl can play on grass.”

For a country that has watched Rafael Nadal capture two Wimbledon titles in recent memory and has been starved of similar success on the women’s side – Muguruza was a fitting heroine to end the prolonged drought.