Carlos Alcaraz, Paula Badosa lead tributes to retiring Garbiñe Muguruza

Garbiñe Muguruza's announcement Saturday that she has officially retired from professional tennis was met with heatfelt messages from her peers, pundits and fans alike.

Leading the tributes were Muguruza's fellow Spaniards, Carlos Alcaraz and Paula Badosa, as well as her former coach, Conchita Martinez.

The two active players were among those who took to social media to express their congratulations to the former world No. 1 on a Hall of Fame-caliber career.

"Congratulations on a great career," Alcaraz wrote to his fellow Wimbledon champion Muguruza on X. "Enjoy everything that comes now!"

Badosa had an emotional social media message to her Billie Jean King Cup teammate, calling her elder compatriot "the mirror" that she saw herself in, inspiring her to strive for greatness since she was young.

"Thank you Garbi for giving so much to Spanish tennis. It was a pleasure to share these years with you. Happy life, you deserve it," she wrote.

In the official post from the WTA praising Muguruza's career, Romania's Sorana Cirstea also chimed in, saying: "Amazing player ... the sport and the fans will miss you."

While Alcaraz and Badosa represent the present and future of Spanish tennis, a Spanish great of the past also weighed in, with Martinez commenting about their "special bond" in a statement to the WTA.

Martinez coached Muguruza to her 2017 Wimbledon title on a part-time basis, and they cemented a full-time partnership from the fall of 2019 to the spring of 2023, when Muguruza first stepped away from the sport.

“It has been an honor to work with Garbiñe, and a privilege to see her grow as an athlete who inspires so many people in our country and around the world," she said. "I feel very sentimental about our times together at Billie Jean King Cup, her rise to No.1 and her achievements at Wimbledon and the WTA Finals in Guadalajara. We've built a special bond, and I hope her future brings only good things.”