Why Garbine Muguruza is here for the long haul

4:20 PM ET

Garbine Muguruza is the new French Open champion and the third woman to beat Serena Williams in the past three Grand Slam events. It raises the question: Is Muguruza just another talented player taking advantage of a hot hand — and Williams’ age — or is she the long-awaited eventual successor to Williams as the WTA’s leading player?

True, Williams isn’t going anywhere just yet. But she’ll be 35 this September and nothing lasts forever. The top job in the WTA isn’t there for the asking, but it is there for the taking. And in Paris on Saturday, Muguruza made a significant move for it.

Here’s why she might succeed:

Age is on her side

Roberta Vinci was 32 years old when she beat Serena in the semis of the 2015 US Open. Vinci is not going to be a factor at the top of the game. Angelique Kerber, who beat Williams for the Australian Open title in January, is 28. Kerber fulfilled a lifelong ambition but is now struggling. Muguruza is just 22 and just entering the prime of her career.

To some, 22 might seem a little late for a player who aspires to dominate. (Williams won her first major while still just 17.) But the long-term WTA trend has been toward players maturing and doing better at later ages than ever before, and enjoying surprisingly elongated careers.

Muguruza was 21 last July when she was beaten by Serena in the Wimbledon final. Now, Muguruza has her first major title. Her arc reflects exactly where the women’s game has been going for some years now.

After dropping her first set of the tournament, Garbine Muguruza won 14 straight en route to the championship. AP Photo/David VincentHer solid serve

We may be entering a new era in which women pros who want to win big will have to serve big, and those with powerful serves will no longer be a novelty. To some degree, we can thank the Williams sisters for introducing the idea.

Muguruza stand 6-feet tall. Her tennis heroes growing up were …

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