Tennis news: Elena Rybakina upsets Iga Swiatek; Garbine Muguruza makes announcement

Iga Swiatek entered the Stuttgart semifinal against Elena Rybakina with a career record of 65-9 on clay. Swiatek is the World No. 1 and the two-time Stuttgart champion eyeing a three-peat. Elena Rybakina, World No. 4, is an outstanding player but admitted before the match she was the underdog to Iga especially on clay.

Rybakina delivered a blistering serve, won the first set, and weathered the storm when Swiatek rallied in the second. The deciding set was all Rybakina as she advanced to the final on Sunday. She awaits the winner of the Marketa Vondrouosva and Marta Kostyuk semifinal match. Rybakina has a 1-1 head-to-head record with each player.

Rybakina has excelled head-to-head with Swiatek. Before Saturday's semifinal, she had a 3-2 record over Swiatek. Women's tennis is filled with talent, but Swiatek and Rybakina appear to be two who should have a long successful rivalry pushing each other to become better players similar to how Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova did in the 1980s.

As Swiatek and Rybakina fire up their rivalry, Garbine Muguruza calls it a career

Garbine Muguruza, a former teenage sensation who turned pro in 2012, officially retired on Saturday. Muguruza was taking a self-imposed break from the game and had not played a match since January 2023.

Muguruza, paired with another Spanish tennis legend as her coach for much of her career, Conchita Martinez, enjoyed great success winning 449 singles matches.

She was World No. 1 in 2017. Of her 10 singles titles, 2 were Grand Slam victories at the 2016 French Open and 2017 Wimbledon. She was a finalist at the 2020 Australian Open, losing to Sofia Kenin.
Muguruza also won the 2021 WTA Finals. She won 5 doubles titles frequently pairing with Carla Suarez Navarro.

Because Muguruza, 30, was on an extended break from tennis, her retirement announcement was not a complete surprise. She did not play competitively in over a year, but some fans were holding out hope that she would make a return to the game.

Her game was fun to watch, and she will be missed; some are already touting her as a future Hall of Famer. Muguruza is happy and content with her career, achievements, and personal life which is the best news.

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