Garbiñe Muguruza joins Laureus Family ahead of Laureus World Sports Awards
The former tennis champion announces a new chapter as a Laureus Ambassador.
As the world’s greatest athletes began to arrive in Madrid ahead of the 25th Laureus World Sports Awards which take place on Monday (April 22), a great tennis champion today announced that it was time to close the book on a storied career.
“I achieved my dreams,” said Gabriñe Muguruza, in front of international media at the beautiful Palacio de Cibeles in the Spanish capital. And for the two-time Grand Slam champion, the next chapter has already begun.
A few hours before she took the stage to announce her retirement from professional tennis at the age of 30, the former World No.1 undertook her first task in a new role: as an ambassador for Laureus Sport for Good. Muguruza was joined by Laureus World Sports Academy Members Nicol David, Alessandro Del Piero and Michael Johnson on a visit to Fundación A LA PAR.
“I achieved my dreams,” said Gabriñe Muguruza, in front of international media at the beautiful Palacio de Cibeles in the Spanish capital. And for the two-time Grand Slam champion, the next chapter has already begun.
A few hours before she took the stage to announce her retirement from professional tennis at the age of 30, the former World No.1 undertook her first task in a new role: as an ambassador for Laureus Sport for Good. Muguruza was joined by Laureus World Sports Academy Members Nicol David, Alessandro Del Piero and Michael Johnson on a visit to Fundación A LA PAR.
.jpg?format=auto&width=320)
.jpg?format=auto&width=320)
Based on a campus on the outskirts of Madrid, this project supports hundreds of young athletes with intellectual disabilities across 20 different sports. It’s a shining example of the power of sport to make a difference in the lives of young people – and Laureus’s newest Ambassador clearly enjoyed herself, interacting with the athletes during a soccer programme.
“It was a beautiful experience. I saw lots of great people making a huge effort and I am happy to be part of the Laureus family.”
The Laureus athletes were greeted with roars from the young people who were joining them for a session that begin with dribbling drills and ended with a match in which the yellow team of Del Piero and Johnson faced off against Muguruza and David’s orange team.
“The story of my life is sport and how to connect people through sport. It's beautiful to be part of it. I will try to stay as close as possible to the new generation – to show them that dreams can become a reality.”
“The story of my life is sport and how to connect people through sport. It's beautiful to be part of it. I will try to stay as close as possible to the new generation – to show them that dreams can become a reality.”
.JPG?format=auto&width=320)
Muguruza’s story is proof of that. She was six years old when her family moved from Venezuela to Spain to give their children (Gabriñe has two older brothers) the best chance of success in tennis. She would win the 2016 French Open and the 2017 Wimbledon title and reach two further major finals. She was World No.1 and the winner of the year-ending WTA Tour Finals of 2021.
Now that chapter of her life is closed – and after her visit to Fundación A LA PAR – Muguruza took to the stage in front of the world’s media to make it official. There were no tears, and no sense that the decision – one, she said, was reached gradually since she first stepped back from tournament tennis in 2023 – had caused her any pain.
“The right moment has come for me to say farewell to a long and beautiful career,” she said. “It is 25 years since I first started in tennis and if someone had told me then that I'd make No.1 and win Grand Slams, I wouldn't have believed it.”
Now that chapter of her life is closed – and after her visit to Fundación A LA PAR – Muguruza took to the stage in front of the world’s media to make it official. There were no tears, and no sense that the decision – one, she said, was reached gradually since she first stepped back from tournament tennis in 2023 – had caused her any pain.
“The right moment has come for me to say farewell to a long and beautiful career,” she said. “It is 25 years since I first started in tennis and if someone had told me then that I'd make No.1 and win Grand Slams, I wouldn't have believed it.”
