This year's clay court swing concluded with the emergence of a new Grand Slam champion in Garbiñe Muguruza. The 22-year-old Spaniard put up a ruthless, fearless, feisty and dominating performance to finish on top at the French Open, defeating world number one and defending champion Serena Williams in the final. Muguruza makes a significant amount of history with the win and she is secured her top two debut in the rankings, hitting a career-high of world number two.
Last week's titlist
In an interview at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart two months ago, Garbiñe Muguruza disclosed that she should not be underestimated at the French Open with it being played on clay, a surface which she has enjoyed good results. The Spaniard made two consecutive quarterfinals in the previous years (falling in 2014 to eventual champion Maria Sharapova and last year to eventual runner-up Lucie Safarova).
Her clay season this year began with a quarterfinal showing in Stuttgart where she was demolished by a no-nonsense Petra Kvitova. Then, in Madrid where she was expected to do well in front of a homecrowd, she was bounced in the second round for the second year in a row, this time by Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu.
Things then took a turn for the better in Rome where she made the semifinals, falling out to eventual runner-up Madison Keys who had a dream run in the tournament. She however saved her best for the last, playing commendable tennis throughout the French Open and thus, securing her first Grand Slam title, a very-much well-deserved reward for the 22-year-old.
Eventhough Muguruza plays well on all surfaces, it was on the dirt where she made her first mark as one to watch out for in the future. In 2014, en route to the last eight, she scored a landmark upset over then-defending champion Williams in the second round, outclassing the American in straight sets.
Their clash in the final was no different, Muguruza took her chances and played well in the key moments which eventually assured her of a first Grand Slam title. With this victory, she becomes just the second player of either gender born in the 1990s and beyond to lift a Grand Slam trophy, joining Kvitova who was the only player to hold the record since beating Sharapova in the final of Wimbledon in 2011.
The new world number two who was born to a Spanish father and Venezuelan mother in Caracas, Venezuela also become the first Spaniard to lift a Grand Slam crown since Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario did so here in Paris in 1998. Moreover, she becomes the third consecutive first time Grand Slam champion after Flavia Pennetta at the US Open and Angelique Kerber at the Australian Open.
Speaking of what is the biggest and life-changing moment of her young and blossoming career, Muguruza said "I'm pretty shocked still, I think I've got to take my time and enjoy, because with tennis players it goes so fast. For Spanish people this is the tournament. When you're a kid and practice on clay, you're always, 'Oh, I wish I could win Roland Garros.'" She then added "I think it’s incredible to see new faces and that the players know now that it’s possible to win, to defeat Serena. It’s like breathing new or fresh air."
Muguruza's road to the trophy began with her toughest match of the fortnight, needing three sets to gruel past Anna Karolina Schmiedlova. She then scored a bagel in each of her straight set wins over Myrtille Georges and Yanina Wickmayer. Entering the second half of the tournament, she beat 2009 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and surprise package Shelby Rogers to book her place in the semifinals. There, she sailed past 2010 finalist Samantha Stosur and then took down Williams for the title.
Throughout the tournament, there were early casualties. Among them 16th-seeded Sara Errani, the 2012 runner-up who had made three consecutive quarterfinals in Paris since then but was upset in the opening round by Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova who was an eventual quarterfinalist. The top eight seeds that were sent packing in the opening round were third seed and Australian Open champion Kerber and seventh seed Roberta Vinci. Former world number one Jelena Jankovic, the 23rd seed was also bounced in the first round. 10th-seeded Kvitova's dire results at the Slams outside of Wimbledon continue when she was upset by Rogers in the third round, making it the third time in her last four Paris outings where she lost in the third round.
Players who enjoyed stellar results include Rogers and Pironkova, with the former making her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. Kiki Bertens who upset of Kerber in the opening round, backed up that win, making it all the way to the semifinals. Kazakh Yulia Putintseva did not drop a set en route to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Rankings
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Muguruza rises to a new career-high of world number two and closes in on the gap between her and Williams. Simona Halep who fell early last year closes out the top five after making the round of 16. Serena's sister Venus who also made the round of 16 improves two places to world number nine. Kuznetsova and Stosur who both had good runs in Paris also see their rankings rise from 15th to 12th and 24th to 14th respectively.
Semifinalist Bertens cracks the top 30 for the first time in her career, hitting a new career-high of 27th, a vault of 31 spots from 58th. Similarly, Putintseva also moves up 25 places to 35th after making the quarterfinals in Paris. Meanwhile, Rogers also sets a new career-high ranking at number 60, going up 48 spots. Pironkova returns to the top 100 courtesy of her run to the quarterfinals, going up from 102nd to 71st.
Ana Ivanovic, a 2015 semifinalist in Paris is out of the top 20 for the first time since 2012 after exiting in the third round, going down nine places to 25th. Last year's finalist Safarova falls from 13th to 29th after bowing in the third round as well. Errani is also out of the top 20, going down four places to 22nd. Ekaterina Makarova dips seven places to 36th after failing to defend her round of 16 points from last year.
Road to Singapore
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Due to Kerber bowing out in the opening round, she surrenders her lead in the race to the WTA Finals to Williams. Muguruza sees her hopes of qualifying for the second year in a row spark as her title run vaults her up 13 spots to 4th. Stosur and Bertens improve in the race as well with the former cracking the top 10 at 9th. Bertens improves from 35th to 12th.
Begu and Elina Svitolina who both made the round of 16 in Paris close out the top 20 standings at 19th and 20th respectively. Putintseva improves from 45th to 24th whereas Rogers makes a 54-spot leap from 90th to 36th. Pironkova cracks the top 100 standings, going up from 119th to 48th.
This week's action
As another phase of the 2016 season draws to a close, another opens as tennis action now heads to grass. The opening act of this year's grass court swing will be the Aegon Open Nottingham, Nottingham and the Ricoh Open, s-Hertogenbosch. Notably, former world number one Caroline Wozniacki who plays Nottingham, returns from a three-month ankle injury lay-off.