Two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza has shared her thoughts on her opening-round opponent at the prestigious Mutua Madrid Open. The Spanish-Venezuelan player will open her Madrid campaign against American tennis star Sloane Stephens.

The claycourt tournament, which draws the very best in the men’s and women’s fields, will open on April 30 and end on May 9. 

To a question on how she rates her rival going into the opening-round clash, the current World No. 13 claimed that she was unaware that she’s been drawn to play Stephens. Muguruza said that it would be a good contest, adding that the American prefers playing on soil and will be tough to beat.

Garbine Muguruza says Sloane Stephens is good on clay and will make for a tough opening-round clash at Madrid

The 27-year-old added that they had found each other on the opposite ends of a tennis court on a few occasions and she never had it easy against Sloane. She isn’t too far off the mark as the two are currently tied 2-2 in four head-to-head clashes.

“I didn’t know I was playing with her. It’s a good match for a first round. She’s a player who likes the land and we’ve already played enough times,” Muguruza said.

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(Quotes have been translated with Google Translate)

Interestingly, the Spaniard and the 28-year-old American, who is currently ranked 51st in singles, have met twice on a claycourt with both winning one match apiece. 

Their meetings on soil came in Rome last year and at the 2019 French Open. Stephens upset Muguruza 6-4, 6-3 at Roland-Garros, and the Spaniard had her revenge in Rome, winning 6-3, 6-3.

The Spaniard has had an encouraging season so far, reaching two Tour finals and winning one of them.

She reached the fourth round of this year’s Australian Open and was a set to the good against current World No. 2 Naomi Osaka before she lost her way and went down in three sets. She followed up with a runners-up finish at Qatar and her first Tour title of the year in Dubai.

“Big a Forte”: Garbine Muguruza Raises Concerns for Australian Open 2021

Stephens, on the other hand, fell early at the Australian Open and her best performance on Tour this year was a quarter-final appearance at the claycourt event at Charleston, United States.