Spain has a new champion: All you need to know about French Open winner Garbiñe Muguruza

Spain’s Garbiñe Muguruza beat Serena Williams 7-5 6-4 to win the French Open on Saturday and claim her first grand slam title. Here’s all you need to know about the new Roland Garros champion. [caption id=“attachment_2817496” align=“alignleft” width=“825”] Spain’s Garbiñe Muguruza celebrates after winning the French Open. AFP[/caption] Born: Caracas, Venezuela, on October 8, 1993 (Age: 22) Grand Slam career best results: Australian Open - fourth round (2014-15); French Open - winner 2016; Wimbledon - runner-up (2015); U.S. Open - second round (2015) * Muguruza is the first Spanish woman to win the Roland Garros title since Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario in 1998. * Saturday’s match was her first claycourt final. * Muguruza dropped only one set in reaching the final, against Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in round one. * Muguruza was also the last player to defeat Serena Williams at Roland Garros, beating the American 6-2 6-2 in the second round in 2014. * Saturday’s title was just Muguruza’s third on the main women’s tour, after the Hobart International in 2014 and the China Open in 2015 *Serena Williams and Pete Sampras were her favourite tennis players as a child. * Won the title for the loss of only one set. [caption id=“attachment_2817500” align=“alignleft” width=“825”] Garbiñe Muguruza poses with a guide dog puppy during the 2014 Australian Open. AFP[/caption] Making Her Name Her mother (Scarlet Blanco) is from Venezuela and father (Jose) is Spanish. Began playing tennis aged three. Trained at the Bruguera Tennis Academy near Barcelona. Turned pro in 2011 and won four titles on the ITF circuit. Career To Date [caption id=“attachment_2817502” align=“alignleft” width=“825”] Garbiñe Muguruza’s service in action. Her serve is one of her biggest weapons. AFP[/caption] In 2012 she scored her first win against a top-10 player (Vera Zvonareva) in Miami in her second WTA main draw match. Won her first singles title at Hobart in 2014 and ended the year ranked 21 in the world. Breakthrough season in 2015. Won the Beijing title and reached Wimbledon final and qualified for WTA Finals, where she reached the semis. Rose to world number three by end of year. Slow start to 2016, but form returned at Miami where she reached last 16 and lost a tight battle against Victoria Azarenka. Semi-finalist in Rome. Coached by Frenchman Sam Sumyk who has also worked with Victoria Azarenka and Eugenie Bouchard. Now lives in Geneva. (With inputs from Reuters)