Garbine Muguruza is most likely to win a Grand Slam in 2022, predict Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver
Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver recently spoke to the WTA about their predictions for the 2022 season. During one of their discussions, they were asked to name a multiple Grand Slam champion who they thought would go on to have a terrific season. The legendary duo unanimously named Garbine Muguruza.
The former World No. 1 started 2021 on an impressive note; she made the final of the Yarra Valley Classic and the Qatar Open before clinching her eighth career title in Dubai. However, injury concerns led to a string of poor results in subsequent tournaments.
Nonetheless, Muguruza was able to put her dry spell behind her to cap off her season with victory at the 2021 WTA Finals.
18-time Grand Slam champion Navratilova praised Muguruza's performance at the season-ending championships in Guadalajara. The Spaniard, who lost her opening match in an intense three-setter against Karolina Pliskova, won four straight matches to lift the trophy in Mexico.
Navratilova also heaped praise on Muguruza's partnership with former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez. She explained that Martinez has a "great tennis mind" and will push the 28-year-old to be a better player.
"I think Muguruza after how she played in Guadalajara," Martina Navratilova said. "Not just that she won, but how she comported herself. Her relationship with Conchita is really now paying nice dividends. Conchita is a great tennis mind, and she’ll move her into becoming an even more complete player."
The tennis great further highlighted how Muguruza has the right team behind her, before saying she would be surprised if the Spaniard fails to add another Grand Slam title to her collection in 2022.
"Garbiñe really wants it; she’s in a happy place. Her personal life is settled, she has a supportive boyfriend and Conchita is amazing. She’s in a really, really good place and I would be surprised if she doesn’t win a Major next year," Navratilova said.
"This is a player who is accustomed to winning Majors" - Pam Shriver on Garbine Muguruza
Former World No. 3 Pam Shriver also weighed in on the discussion. She pointed out that Garbine Muguruza has prior experience winning Grand Slams (Roland Garros in 2016 and Wimbledon in 2017). Shriver added that Muguruza is highly likely to add another Major to her tally in 2022.
"Muguruza - she’s the one that’s going to do it," Pam Shriver said. "Her being ranked No. 3 isn’t that big a deal for her; it’s not rarified air by her standards. Winning the WTA Finals, it was fun to see how excited she and her whole team were."
"Honestly, this is a player who is accustomed to winning majors. In my mind, she’s the leading candidate among those multi-major winners mentioned that will add to her total in 2022."