By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday September 3, 2022

Flushing Meadows, NY—After dropping a dramatic cliffhanger to Petra Kvitova on Day 6, Garbiñe Muguruza’s 2022 Grand Slam season comes to a close. Though she made strides in New York, and nearly pushed into the round of 16 on Saturday, the Spaniard fails to reach the second week of a major in a full season for the first time since 2013.



She had two match points in the third set, with Kvitova serving at 5-6, but the 32-year-old Czech delivered in the clutch to send Muguruza packing. Kvitova has now won six straight matches against the Spaniard, but two-time Grand Slam champion Muguruza is taking the positives despite a difficult day and a difficult season.

“I left everything on the court today,” Muguruza said. “I had my chances. Obviously won match points, was one point away of having another phase right now.”

The Spaniard played an excellent match, but fizzled down the stretch as nerves appeared to get the best of her. She chalked it up to not having enough match wins on the year.

“I'm proud of my fighting spirit,” she said. “I have had some tough losses this year, but definitely this one makes me feel like my fighting spirit was there, my tennis was there. Probably need some extra confidence playing on those match points. Also not playing too many matches, you know, I kind of felt it. I felt that she did a final so she was pretty confident on her serve and on her groundstrokes.” “Overall I'm actually happy with what I showed on the court.”