Garbine Muguruza, 21, is hardly a household name. But in the tennis world Muguruza’s ascent to the women’s final at Wimbledon — against Serena Williams — doesn’t shock anybody. Muguruza might be in a better position, in fact, if she were more stealth. But Serena Williams knows exactly who Muguruza is and what she brings to the court. Muguruza beat Williams handily in the 2014 French Open, knocking her out in the second round 6-2, 6-2. (And Muguruza took the first set from Williams in this year’s Australian, losing to Williams 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.)
The Spanish-Venezuelan Muguruza is an excellent player — and at Roland Garros she caught Williams in one of her rare sub-par moments at a Grand Slam. (Williams has won the last seven Grand Slam finals she’s played, and is 20-4 in Slam finals over her career.) But Muguruza is much improved on grass — and has the all-around game and, importantly, the movement to compete if she isn’t waylaid by Williams’ serving genius. The women’s Wimbledon finals is Saturday.
