Since hanging up her racket in 2024, two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza has stayed close to the tour, moving from the court into tournament leadership. The Venezuela-born Spaniard took over as tournament director of the WTA Finals later that year, and earlier in 2026, she added another major title to her resume as co-tournament director of the Mutua Madrid Open alongside Feliciano Lopez.
At the Fage WTA Finals in Indian Wells, the former world No. 1 took time out of her busy schedule to speak with Women’s Tennis Blog about her transition to the executive side of the game.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: What was the biggest culture shock moving from being a player into the executive offices?
“When you’re a player, you just don’t think about how much it takes to make events like this happen. Just the amount of teamwork that needs to be done to put events like this, and when you’re a player, you’re just not very conscious, you just focus on your match and your things, and that is the most shocking.”
Q: Is there any specific operational detail that surprised you when you took this role?
“I would say keeping everyone happy, keeping all the sponsors happy with all the requests, getting ready. You know, even just security and venue and courts and everyone has a role and for them to execute it the right way to have the highest standards at the WTA Finals. It’s such a prestige and boutique tournament that we want to make it very special. Even if it’s not a lot of players, you still want to make it make it very very special. In my in my experience, it takes a village.”
Q: How did it feel getting here to this empty tennis center before the tournament started?
“Here was very safe because coming back we know the venue, we are familiar with the Desert Champions team, the courts. It felt like we’re safe here. This is a player favorite, fan favorite, staff favorite. Everyone loves Indian Wells, so it felt like everything’s almost done, we just need to make sure that we run the event at the very best. It’s a very nice feeling to have such a professional people here that know what they’re doing.”
Q: Now that you’re managing player needs from the organizer side, is there anything that you used to want as a player that you realize now is impossible?
“I was not very far from reality. I don’t think I wanted something unachievable, I was very chill as a player. Already, I was always so happy at the WTA Finals. WTA has so many gifts for the players and such attention to detail. They would organize a lot of activities outside for you. And no, I don’t feel like there was something that I thought it was missing.”
Q: Is there anything that you wish players today knew about what’s happening in the administrative and the executive suites?
“That’s hard. I think when you’re active and you’re a player. I think they’re focusing on their job. I would like for them to understand the business side of it, that at the end, the media is very important to do. Your press conferences, to do all your media requirements, I think that’s very important. All the sponsors that are making the event happen too, give back to them and do the activities, and I think all of these details are important. Sometimes, when you’re playing, you’re focusing on what do I have to do to perform the best? But of course, there is a business side of it and you are the face of the tour. You are the face of the event. So it’s tricky.”
Women’s Tennis Blog asked tournament finalist Elina Svitolina what it was like to see her formal rival, just one year her senior, in this new role. Between 2012 and 2021, the two played each other 12 times. Svitolina said: “I’m really happy that she stayed in tennis. I think with the players that have lots of experience playing on tour for many years at such a high level, I think it’s important to have them. They know what it is to go through the tournament and what players need. I remember we had tough battles also here in Indian Wells. So, it’s great to see her being involved in tennis.”
