The Women's Tennis Association on Sunday named Conchita Martinez as the WTA Coach of the Year after she helped compatriot Garbine Muguruza to three titles in 2021.
Conchita Martinez, a former WTA World No.2 and current coach of Garbine Muguruza, becomes the fourth recipient of the annual WTA Coach of the Year Award. This award recognizes the winning coach for success on the court but also for serving as an ambassador of the sport and bringing coaching to the forefront of the game.
Previous winners of this award include Sascha Bajin (2018, Naomi Osaka), Craig Tyzzer (2019, Ashleigh Barty) and Piotr Sierzputowski (2020, Iga Swiatek).
While first working together in 2017 during Muguruza's run to the title at The Championships, Wimbledon, Martinez and Muguruza rekindled their partnership in 2020 and together brought Muguruza's game to new heights in 2021.
This year they reached five WTA finals, winning the titles at the Dubai Tennis Championships and Chicago Fall Tennis Classic, and finished the year by lifting the Billie Jean King Trophy at the WTA Finals Guadalajara along with her first Top 5 year-end season since 2017 at world No.3.
On Tuesday, the World No.1 Ashleigh Barty won the WTA Player of the Year honor for the second time and US Open champion Emma Raducanu took the Newcomer of the Year.
( With inputs from ANI )
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