Two-time Grand Slam winner Garbine Muguruza is a Spanish tennis legend but she did not hold back when asked to name who she prefers out of compatriots Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz
Tennis icon Garbine Muguruza has controversially picked Carlos Alcaraz over Rafael Nadal when asked who she prefers out of her fellow Spaniards.
Born in Venezuela to a Spanish father and a Venezuelan mother, Muguruza won the 2021 WTA Finals before retiring in April this year. The 30-year-old is the only player to beat both of the Williams sisters in a Grand Slam final, clinching victories at Roland Garros in 2016 and Wimbledon in 2017.
Muguruza is therefore a relevant voice when issuing her thoughts on her fellow Spanish stars, as fan debates rage on over their preference for 22-time Grand Slam winner Nadal, or his successor Alcaraz, who at 21 has already stormed to four Grand Slams. When it comes to their personalities, Nadal is lauded for his humility while Alcaraz has gained supporters for his less filtered approach.
And Muguruz’s preference for the young talent over Nadal came as somewhat of a surprise given the latter’s accomplishments, stating that Alcaraz’s style is more similar to that of herself. “There are moments when we think a lot about what we say, especially so that it doesn’t backfire,” Muguruza said recently in an interview with Esquire magazine.
“But I like to say what I think. Rafa is more reserved in that respect. I like Carlos, I see him more confident, younger, speaking more and saying what he thinks. And I believe people also appreciate that and not measuring your words so much.”
The Spaniard went on to say about her own approach: “I don’t know why I’ve been labelled as rebellious and misunderstood. Maybe it’s because on the boys’ side it’s been very quiet thanks to Rafa.
“By showing a little more happiness or anger and not being so emotionless, I’ve been branded as a rebel, but I haven’t felt like that at all. I’m a very emotional person on court, you could see it on my face.”
Nadal is widely expected to retire at the end of the year. He last played competitively at the Paris 2024 Olympics in late July, where he was overwhelmed by eternal rival Novak Djokovic.
The 38-year-old veteran also teamed up with Carlos Alcaraz for the Olympic doubles at Roland-Garros, reaching the quarter-finals before losing to Team USA.
Nadal – a 14-time French Open winner – missed the US Open due to fitness issues but has still not ruled out a final appearance at Roland-Garros next year. “Right now my goals for the year are over, I haven’t achieved what I would have liked to achieve,” he admitted this week.
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