PARIS — For the third major in a row, world No. 1 Serena Williams has been stopped short of history. Her French Open adversary? A 22-year-old named Garbiñe Muguruza.
Saturday the Spaniard ranked No. 4 in the world shocked Williams at Roland Garros to capture her first Grand Slam title with a 7-5, 6-4 victory, denying Williams a record-tying 22nd major trophy.
“I’m so, so excited,” Mugurza said on court. “To play a final of a Grand Slam against one of the best players, I’m so happy. Serena is a very powerful player and I had to be ready for every point.”
Muguruza is the third consecutive first-time Grand Slam champion in women’s tennis, following the victories of Flavia Pennetta (U.S. Open) and Angelique Kerber (Australian Open) in the last year.
While the result is a surprising one on paper, Muguruza, who had lost to Williams in the Wimbledon final a year ago, had been in sizzling form in the leadup to the final, dropping only the first set she played and winning 12 consecutive sets thereafter.
