The 27-year-old Garbiñe Muguruza has been a tennis professional for almost nine years and has won both Wimbledon and the French championships.

But despite her successful career, she has dreamed of trying something different.

-I have always wanted to undergo military training, ever since I was a child, but it has never gone hand in hand with tennis, says Muguruza.

After the tennis season last year, she got the chance.

Garbiñe Muguruza went to Mallorca where she trained with the Spanish gendarmerie Guardia Civil, a kind of national militarized police force.

She was allowed to accompany rescue helicopters, dive into caves and train in self-defense.

"An eye opener"

But the time with the coastguard made the biggest impression.

One of Guardia Civil's missions is to patrol Spain's borders and so also in the Mediterranean, where migrants try to make the life-threatening journey from Africa to Europe by boat.

-I got to experience many aspects of this profession but this part was hard to do.

I loved doing all the adventure stuff, but you also get to face an unpleasant reality.

It was an eye opener, says Muguruza.

According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, just over a thousand migrants in the Mediterranean died or disappeared in 2020. A low figure compared to previous years.

Melbourne next

For Garbiñe Muguruza, the special training lasted for a week, then she flew on in life.

The next destination is Melbourne, where the Australian Open takes place in February.

Before the tennis elite can compete, they must complete a 14-day quarantine at a hotel.

-I'm not worried.

I think they have done a great job getting this together, she says.

Last year was the final loss in the Australian Open for Muguruza, her best performance in a grand slam tournament in several years.

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Roger Federer is not ready to play in the Australian Open in six weeks but is postponing his comeback.

Photo: TT