Former world No. 1 Garbine Muguruza took part in a mentoring session with some of the best junior players in the world last week. Here is some of the advice that the two-time Grand Slam champion had to share:

On coping with pressure

“You always feel the pressure. I like it because it means that I care. However, if your nerves prevent you from playing, you must find a solution. I like to speak with my team, to analyse why I feel so much pressure, why I care so much about that match. I speak with my team to know what to do against my opponent, how to cope with the match. Personally, I speak a lot with my coach.

“Tennis visualisation helps me in difficult moments, to know what to do and why. If it is an important match, I try to visualise it, to train well, to have a positive mind. This helps me in every match.

“I suffered a back injury when I was 16-17 and that was a very hard moment. I was out of the court for six months.  

“If you work hard, the results can come at the age of 17 or 27, it depends on the player. From Junior to Professional tennis there is a moment of weakness. You must travel more, compete more to cover expenses etc. You either throw in the towel or decide to be stronger.This is a turning point.”

On being in lockdown

“I like to feel healthy and fit. It is a mental test. I need to train to be fresh and fit for the next tournament. It will be six to eight months, but I will make sure that I’m ready. I won’t be sitting on the sofa.”

Things she has improved

“One of the things I improved is the way I train. In the past, I got bored during the training sessions, my attitude was bad. I liked competing but not training, but I changed my vision.

“If I feel lazy, I think that Serena (Williams) is training on court…You must train as hard as the rest of the players or harder. Now I like training a lot because it is the only way to have options during the match.

“In the beginning, I was a “monster” when I lost a match. Nobody could talk to me. Nowadays, if it has been a tricky match, I can be upset for one or two hours but then I analyse the errors and let it go.

“Even if you lose an important match, you have another tournament two to three weeks later. That is the good thing about tennis. A match doesn’t decide your career.”  

What does she focus on?

“I try to be very focussed on training sessions. If you’re distracted while you’re training, you’re going to lose the match. You must train with the same intensity as when you compete.

“If I have made a mistake during the match, I try to focus on the next point. Sometimes, the key of a match is resilience and mental strength to cope with the pressure.

“We simulate real match situations during the training sessions, for example, a tie-break. It is important to get out of your comfort zone. It makes you stronger to know how to resolve the match.”

On making sacrifices

“Tennis is an individual sport and sometimes the loneliness is hard. Your friends go to the cinema and you must stay. There are sacrifices but I have never minded doing them. I have always felt fortunate.

“The professional life of a tennis player is not that long. Many female players stop playing at the age of 35. Then you can make up for lost time. The parties, the vacation, etc.

“You must be ready to be far away from your parents and friends. If it is your dream, it will be worth it in the long run.”

On staying motivated

“The idea of winning another Grand Slam or any other trophy motivates me. I love competing. I must train hard to be among the best, to be able to be at the top again. I want to play finals. To play for the title is the best feeling.

“I couldn’t sleep much before the finals I played. You need to deal with it. It would be terrible if nerves prevented you from playing.

“I tend to think too much. When I’m in the tennis club, I am concentrated on my work. When I leave the club, I watch a movie, go for a walk, speak with my team or I do a videocall. I disconnect from tennis in my free time.

“I love traveling to places: Australia is beautiful, the US…I love playing in big stages, courts full of people who pay to see you. You’re part of the show.”

Most memorable victories

“It was special winning my first WTA [event] in Australia. I had played a few matches (plus the Qualies) and that made me think that I could win a most important title.

“To win Roland Garros was very important in my career. As a kid, I started in clay courts and Roland Garros was my favourite tournament. To beat Serena in the final is one of the most special moments.”

On eating right

“The diet is very important. A nutritionist guarantees that I have a healthy and balanced diet. If you eat and drink well, your body will recover better.  You can have a guilty pleasure from time to time only if you have a healthy habit.

“I’m very careful about what I eat. I try to avoid sauces or spices before a match.”

On starting out

“At the age of 17-18, my main goal was to get ranking points to compete in tournaments, to play with older players. I wanted to get experience and to beat the other girls. 

“At the age of 16, I started playing girls in their twenties. Even if I couldn’t beat many of them, I thought I was capable.

“I was confident from the beginning. I knew I could win something important. I realised that I wasn´t that far from it. The other players were good but so was I.”

You can watch the full mentoring session in Spanish on our YouTube channel