Muguruza and Badosa ensure end to nearly 30-year WTA Finals drought

Garbine Muguruza and Paula Badosa ensure end to nearly 30-year WTA Finals drought

History will be made regardless of the outcome of the all-Spanish semi-final between Garbine Muguruza and Paula Badosa at the WTA Finals.

Spain is most certainly a prolific tennis nation on both the men’s and women’s side of the game.

They are six-time Davis Cup champions and five-time Billie Jean King Cup champions.

Moreover, they historically boast 11 Slam champions, eight men and three women, 10 of whom claimed their titles in the Open Era.

Between them, they have 38 Slam titles, with 20-time champion Rafael Nadal providing the predominant proportion of those.

While Alex Corretja and Manuel Orantes each boast one ATP Finals title, no Spanish woman has ever won the WTA Finals.

In fact, a Spaniard has only reached the final at the event once, coming when Arantxa Sanchez Vicario did so in 1993, losing to Steffi Graf there.

But now, Muguruza and Badosa have together made certain that 28-year streak will end in Guadalajara this year.

Since the two women face each other in the upcoming semi-finals, Spain is guaranteed a finalist at this year’s event.

“It’s amazing there are four players left and two of them are Spaniards,” Muguruza said upon learning what she and Badosa have done.

“I mean, that just shows that Spain has a great level of tennis and a great school. It’s going to be a fun match.

“Hopefully the crowd is going to be on the match. Whoever plays better is going to get the final.”

The two have never met on the court before, in particular because Badosa has risen to the top of the women’s game so sharply in the past year.

Anett Kontaveit occupies the third semi-final qualifying spot, and awaits either Aryna Sabalenka or Maria Sakkari as her opponent for that match.