Muguruza's sole focus is on singles
After her French Open win, Muguruza has no complaints about being targeted
Like a Spanish fighting bull, Garbine Muguruza has impressed with her bravery and beauty since turning pro in 2011.
By winning this year's French Open, the 23-year-old Spaniard became only the second player born in the 1990s to win a Grand Slam title, after Petra Kvitova succeeded at Wimbledon in 2011.
Last year, she also made it to the Wimbledon final before losing to Serena Williams.
And her prowess extends beyond singles matches, as she qualified for both the singles and doubles of last year's WTA Finals.
However, the sheer number of matches she has had to play took their toll.
Muguruza was bundled out of the singles semi-finals by eventual champion Agnieszka Radwanska, before she and compatriot Carla Suarez Navarro lost to top seeds Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza in the doubles final.
Without the demands of playing doubles this week, Muguruza feels she stands a better chance of winning the singles competition here for the first time.
She said: "Last year was an incredible battle. I was playing singles and doubles and I ended up exhausted.
"Oh my God, I was exhausted. And then Aga was just on fire.
"She couldn't miss a ball. I'm like, 'Really?'.
SINGLES ONLY
"I think this year is going to be good for me to concentrate only on singles and just try to win all the round-robin matches.
"If I play at the same level as I did here last year, for sure I will have my chances.
"I think everyone who is here is confident... This is the best eight. Anyone can beat the next player. Everybody is doing everything she can to hold the trophy, including me."
The world No. 6 will have a chance for revenge as she has been drawn into the Red Group alongside world No. 3 Radwanska, No. 7 Madison Keys and No. 8 Dominika Cibulkova.
With a relatively slower court in play, Muguruza revealed she has no qualms charging up to the net to finish off her opponents.
She said: "I love the court. It's such a great show and environment, so we'll put the effort there.
"I think it's going to be long points and long matches on this court, and I am always trying to go to the net.
"It's part of my game."
While Muguruza has done superbly to climb the rankings, rising as high as No. 2 after her French Open win in June, she is also ready to be the hunted instead of the hunter.
She said: "I was thinking the other day, doing like a little recap of the year and stuff.
"I'm like, 'In one (non-calendar) year, I did two Grand Slam finals with Wimbledon and the French Open and I was just 22. Come on Garbine, who was the last girl that did that?'.
"You have such a high moment and you have to go a little bit down.
"You just have to play with that. It brings a little bit more responsibility to you.
"Sometimes, it's hard to deal with that, but I'm learning.
"I think every year I'm doing a lot of different things so fast.
"My career has been so fast.
"It's a privilege to feel like that and to have the Grand Slam trophy in my closet, and it motivates me.
"Yes, sure I have a target on my back now, but I don't think I should complain about that.
"I think it's an amazing place to be."
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