Garbine Muguruza advanced to the WTA Finals championship match with a comfortable 6-3, 6-3 victory over Paula Badosa at the Estadio Akron de Tenis. In a battle between two compatriots in Guadalajara, Muguruza proved to be the superior player. With this win, the 28-year-old becomes the first Spanish representative to reach the singles final of this event since 1993.
Garbine Muguruza secured straight sets 6-3, 6-3 win over Paula Badosa at Estadio Akron de Tenis. Garbine Muguruza advanced to the championship match of the WTA Finals after defeating fellow Spaniard Badosa in Guadalajara. Muguruza proved herself as the best Spanish player in the opening semifinal. The 28-year-old star became the first Spanish player to reach the singles final at the WTA Finals since 1993.
The match, the first time these two Spanish stars faced off, lasted 1 hour and 25 minutes, with Muguruza dominating the play to enter the final. It is a rare feat for a Spaniard to reach the championship match; the only other occurrence was in 1993, when Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, then World No. 1, lost the final to Germany's Stefanie Graf.
Muguruza, a two-time Grand Slam champion, has always performed exceptionally well in Mexico, where she holds a strong 13-2 record. By beating Badosa, she picked up her sixth win over a Top 10 player this season. This victory brings her total win count for the year to 41, her best performance since 2017 when she managed 45 wins against 18 losses.
Muguruza played with immense power and consistency, keeping Badosa under pressure for the entire match. Badosa was unable to break Muguruza's serve once, and Muguruza successfully defended all three break points she faced. From the start, Muguruza's powerful shots forced Badosa into a defensive position, and thanks to excellent depth and timing, she quickly grabbed an early 2-1 lead in the first set.
Muguruza's serve was a major weapon, winning 81% of points on her first serve and dominating Badosa's second serves. While Muguruza won 67% of her second serve points, Badosa managed only 35%. Muguruza eventually closed out the first set after breaking the Indian Wells champion for a second time with a decisive forehand winner.
The second set saw a bit more resistance from Badosa, though she struggled to maintain her composure during the most critical moments, handing Muguruza three break points. Badosa managed to hold her serve in the fourth game to keep the score at 1-3, but an unforced error on a return soon allowed Muguruza to extend her lead to 4-1.
Following a double fault from Badosa, Muguruza moved closer to victory and served for the match at 5-3. Despite Badosa fighting back to a 0-30 lead, the match ended when Badosa hit a backhand into the net on match point. Garbine Muguruza now awaits the winner of the match between Anett Kontaveit and Maria Sakkari for the title at the Akron Finals.