Baseline Awards: Best turnaround season

In 2015, Garbine Muguruza announced herself as one to watch when she reached the final of Wimbledon.

A year later, she was a Grand Slam champion, defeating Serena Williams in the French Open final in a rematch of their Wimbledon encounter.

After that shocking victory, Muguruza was unable to hit such heights, slumping through the rest of the season—and through the first half of 2017 as well.

That all changed at Wimbledon.

Muguruza won the title over Venus Williams, her first tournament triumph since the French Open a year earlier.

And rather than going into another tailspin, Muguruza solidified her status as an elite player by taking the title in Cincinnati, where she dominated Simona Halep in the final.

Muguruza entered the US Open with a shot at the top spot, and despite losing in the fourth round, reached No. 1 by the end of the tournament. She lost the No. 1 ranking during the Asia swing, but still managed to be named the WTA Player of the Year and ITF World Champion.

It was quite the turnaround for the Spaniard, and having gone through a year of highs and lows, she appears to be on a more defined path now.

Follow Van on Twitter: @Van_Sias

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