Mugu Breaking Way to Victory

[jimlosaltos]

Since TPN is on a return of serve binge, it's worth noting that the hottest player on the women's tour now is Garbine Muguruza, and her resurgence is largely driven by an improved return of serve that has her up in Halep territory.

Muguruza leads the WTA with 18 wins this season, which would have been even better if she'd converted 1 of those match points vs Osaka at the Australian Open. Over her 22 matches so far in 2021, Garbiñe Muguruza is breaking serve 47.6% of the time.

In 30 matches in 2020, Muguruza broke serve 37.5%. Last season, only Simona Halep had a break rate of over 45.0%.

Mugu will only be number 13 in the updated rankings because of the new scheme, but would be number 2 behind only Osaka with conventional rankings and presumably will be when they revert.

I haven't seen enough of her play to notice if she's doing anything other than simply playing better (has anyone noticed anything?). But she did practice a lot with ATP players during the down time. Maybe that helped.

[stotty]

Those are great stats. You definitely post threads that are different to anyone else's and with research behind them.

Muguruza is quite a player and I really thought her career would take off after she won Wimbledon back in 2017, but instead it kind of stuttered and stalled. I don't follow the WTA enough to know why. She's a lovely player to watch...in more ways than one.

Playing with men really helps. On the practice courts at Wimbledon, the women can be seen nearly always practicing with men. I am not sure if the men they practice with are tour players of some kind of whether they high ranked national players. I saw one girl practicing at Wimbledon with a male player who would never get in the main draw of a slam...maybe the mixed, but was nonetheless great practice for her.

I really need to follow the WTA more.

[johnyandell]

Good time to be putting her up in the HS Archives!

[jimlosaltos]

Those are great stats. You definitely post threads that are different to anyone else's and with research behind them.

Muguruza is quite a player and I really thought her career would take off after she won Wimbledon back in 2017, but instead it kind of stuttered and stalled. I don't follow the WTA enough to know why. She's a lovely player to watch...in more ways than one.

Playing with men really helps. On the practice courts at Wimbledon, the women can be seen nearly always practicing with men. I am not sure if the men they practice with are tour players of some kind of whether they high ranked national players. I saw one girl practicing at Wimbledon with a male player who would never get in the main draw of a slam...maybe the mixed, but was nonetheless great practice for her.

I really need to follow the WTA more.

Thanks, Stotty! I think only the top few WTA players can afford to hire former mid-range ATP players as hitting partners, Sharapova hired Vladimir Voltchkov as a full-time hitting partner. Some hire coaches that are young enough to still serve as hitting partners. Madison Keys has Jesse Levine in that dual role for a while. He made it to 100 and something on ATP. You'll occasionally see vid posted of say, Serena hitting with Grigor Dimitrov (I'll leave their history for People Magazine <g> ). But it does seem like most that hire hitting partners, hire men. WTA coaches will also bring him local college, male players to hit with the women. You used to see that at the Stanford WTA event, where the practice courts were open -- bunch of Cal team players on Stanford courts hitting with the WTA pros. <g>.

Gugu, on the other hand, made the rounds in the offseason. Hitting with countryman Feliciano and then posting pictures from Stan Wawrinka's pool ....

[arturohernandez]

Garbiñe is playing very well. She looks fit. But there is one thing that will hold her back. She is too tall and not slim enough. I don't mean skinny but slim. If you are going to be that tall, it has to be like Kvitova. She made Garbiñe suffer because she can just move better. They are about the same height but Petra is slimmer and she can take time away.

Being strong is great but look at Ash Barty and how she maneuvers around the court. 5'7" to 5'9" is about ideal for women. Below and it is easy to get muscled around which happens to Barty sometimes. Above that range and it is easy to get yanked around.

Muguruza looks great but she can only go so far. Petra made her take too many chances which is exactly what any woman who moves well will do.

Nadal put on a clinic against Fritz. 6 foot is like 6'7" in the men's game. Just not mobile enough to make consistent inroads.

[klacr]

She has regained the hunger and confidence that made her world #1. She is a lovely person who has also made a commitment to becoming better in her temperament on court as well. She has a coach in Conchita Martinez who she feels comfortable with and a strong team around her that is all on the same page. I'm rooting for her.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA, PTR
Delray Beach
SETS Consulting

[stotty]

She has regained the hunger and confidence that made her world #1. She is a lovely person who has also made a commitment to becoming better in her temperament on court as well. She has a coach in Conchita Martinez who she feels comfortable with and a strong team around her that is all on the same page. I'm rooting for her.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA, PTR
Delray Beach
SETS Consulting

Well said. Me too.