Garbine Muguruza is staying busy in retirement. The former world No. 1 and 2017 Wimbledon champion ended her playing career in 2024, but has just taken on a new role in the sport, becoming co-tournament director of the Madrid Open, alongside Feliciano Lopez. Muguruza already has experience in heading up tournaments – she is also the director of the WTA Finals in Riyadh.
It’s not just tennis keeping Muguruza occupied. The Spaniard also welcomed her first child with husband, Arthur Borges, earlier this year. They announced the news in a joint Instagram post, writing: “Our little miracle. Marcos Borges Muguruza celebrates one week since his arrival.”
Muguruza met Borges while on a walk in Central Park during the 2021 US Open, when he stopped and asked for a selfie. “I go out and I run into him on the street. Suddenly, he turns and says, ‘Good luck at the US Open.’ I was left thinking, ‘Wow, he’s so handsome’,” she previously told Spanish outlet Hola.
They continued meeting up and going for walks, and the rest was history. Borges popped the question in 2023, and they tied the knot a year later. After becoming a mother earlier this year, Muguruza will now take on another new task as she joins Lopez as a co-tournament director at the Caja Magica.
The decision to appoint the two-time Major winner as the new joint tournament director in Madrid was initially announced back in December. At the time, she said: “Assuming the co-directorship of the Mutua Madrid Open is a huge honour. This tournament has always been committed to modernity and to breaking the mould.
“I’m so excited to form part of a project that continues to evolve and is not afraid to lead the way with significant changes in our sport. The Mutua Madrid Open is undoubtedly one of the best tournaments in the world; because of its organisational capacity, what it offers players, and the unique experience it brings to fans.
“I’m very familiar with the daily experience of players at an event of this magnitude – the needs, the demands, the small details that make a difference – and I think that awareness is essential in order to continue growing a tournament of this level.
“My goal, alongside Feliciano, will be to bring that experience and to help Madrid continue to set the standard at the forefront of world tennis as a modern, equitable, ambitious tournament that is fully engaged with the future of the game. I’m really excited to work on a project that is truly committed to equality between men and women, also in decision-making roles, and one that continues to forge the path for both tours.”