Former World No.1 Garbine Muguruza has started her pre-Australian Open 2021 preparations. She is into the third round of the newly formed WTA 500 event in Abu Dhabi.

Muguruza had a routine win over 90th ranked Aliaksandra Sasnovich. It was a straight-set victory that saw brilliant stroke play from Muguruza. The Spaniard then sat down for her press conference and spoke about the upcoming Australian Open 2021. Muguruza is the defending runner-up as she lost to Sofia Kenin in last year’s Australian Open.

“I mean, for Australian open I think I prepared since I started the preseason. You know, this tournament is back on competition. I’m trying to take it as a tournament and also as a match training mode because outside the matches, I’m also training.”

Garbine Muguruza pushing herself more at WTA Abu Dhabi Open

Muguruza told Essentially Sports about her preparations for the Aussie Open. She recognizes the Abu Dhabi Open as an important tournament for warming up prior to flying to Melbourne.

“I might not train like in preseason, but I’m definitely putting the hours even if I’m a little bit extra tired on the match because this is a tournament to to do the last push working and also getting that feeling of competition back.”

The Abu Dhabi Open is the only tournament in January. Most of the top players will be flying to Australia next week to serve out their quarantine before playing the pre-events to the Australian Open in the first week of February. Muguruza is looking at the barren period of the quarantine and thus playing and pushing herself more.

The pandemic had ruined the schedules of most of the tennis players. That is why Muguruza is tiring herself in Abu Dhabi. The extra effort now will help players navigate through quarantine.

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Muguruza will get a good fight against ninth seed Maria Sakkari in the third round of the Abu Dhabi Open. Sakkari comes into the clash with a strong victory over teenage sensation, Coco Gauff. Let’s see how Muguruza performs against Sakkari.

Read More: Simona Halep Dismisses Quarantine Concerns at Australian Open 2021