Every tennis player arrives at Roland Garros with a dream. Take Rafael Nadal, for example. He often said he was “just a kid who followed their dreams,” a young boy from Mallorca, Spain. And look at him—14 French Open titles later. That’s quite a dream, right? Garbine Muguruza had a similar goal. She wanted to make her name at Roland Garros. And she did. In 2016, she not only won the title but also took down Serena Williams to do it. And it wasn’t just a simple win. Two sets. 7-5 and 6-4 against THE Serena Williams. “I can’t explain with words what this day means to me. You work all your life to get here,” she said at the time. Does she still think about that moment?

Of course! Speaking to Laureus, the former pro opened up about her big win at the French Open. On June 4, they shared a reel on Instagram with her recalling the memory nine years later. She said, “I’ve seen this point many times, through the years.” She’s probably talking about the moment she sealed the match.

She added, “It’s Roland Garros, obviously in 2016 against Serena. The final. And that crazy point in which I play a moonball that lands on the line. And I just couldn’t believe it. As a Spaniard, we all dream of winning Roland Garros and making it to the final, playing my idol Serena. It meant more than any other possible final, I had to play her. It was amazing. It was a dream come true!” And it truly was a match to watch!

Nine years ago, on her path to the final, Garbine Muguruza was the tournament’s fourth seed. She took down several strong opponents. She lost only one set the entire tournament—in her very first match against Anna Karolína Schmiedlová. After that, she won straight sets over Myrtille Georges, Yanina Wickmayer, Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round, and Shelby Rogers in the quarters. In the semis, she beat Samantha Stosur to set up her memorable clash with Serena.

The Spaniard played composed and confident tennis. Her triumph gave Spain a new clay-court hero. This was especially important after Rafael Nadal’s early exit due to injury. It was Muguruza’s first clay-court final—something not seen since Natasha Zvereva in 1988, who lost quickly to Graf. But Muguruza had already made waves in 2014 by beating Williams on the same court, losing only four games.

Serena Williams was a favorite that year. She had won Roland Garros three times before—in 2002, 2013, and 2015. She received warm applause as she accepted her runner-up prize. Muguruza, holding the winner’s trophy from Billie Jean King, laughed, remembering her first thought: “How did Rafa win nine of these? It seemed impossible to repeat. It’s great for us.” And it really was. Even Serena couldn’t help but praise her.

Garbine Muguruza received high praise from Williams

It was Serena’s third straight near miss as she chased Steffi Graf’s record. At 34, she faced her second straight final loss, having been beaten by Germany’s Angelique Kerber at the Australian Open in January. Just months earlier, Williams fell to Roberta Vinci in the US Open semi-final. Tough breaks for the tennis legend.

Williams revealed she’d been carrying an adductor injury and admitted playing a fifth straight day was brutal. But she brushed off the pressure of equalling Graf’s record. “I ran up against two players – in Australia, Kerber made 16 errors in three sets, you know, so what do you do in that situation? Today, Garbine played unbelievable. The only thing I can do is just keep trying.” Classic Serena—always pushing forward.

She said she’d take time to dissect the match but had no doubts about Muguruza’s future. “I think she has a bright future, obviously,” Williams said. “She knows how to play on the big stage and clearly she knows how to win. She hits the ball incredibly hard and just goes for broke on every shot and it works for her.” High praise from a legend.

That year, Garbine didn’t just beat Serena—she also took down Serena’s sister, Venus Williams, in a Grand Slam final. She defeated the five-time Wimbledon champ at the All England Club to claim her second Grand Slam singles title.

Later, she reached world No. 1 and held that spot for four weeks. Fast forward to April 2024, Garbine announced her retirement. Now, she’s the tournament director for the WTA Finals in Riyadh, does TV commentary, and hosts VIP Tennis Lounge events. What a journey!