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Second seed Muguruza was leading the match
between the two former world number ones 6-1 3-1 when Azarenka
decided she was unable to continue because of an injury to her
right leg.
"It's unfortunate I couldn't give my best today, but I tried my
hardest," a tearful Azarenka, who had not previously reached
final since the birth of her first child in December 2016, said
at the presentation.
"I want to say thank you to my son Leo, who is not with me here.
I would love him to be here to share this with me because it is
special."
The crowd responded with a chant of "Vika! Vika! Vika!".
Muguruza's victory never looked in doubt and ensured that the
record run of different women winning WTA titles this season
would be extended to 16 tournaments.
The former French Open and Wimbledon champion broke the pained
Belarusian three times in the first set and again in the fourth
game of the second.
"It's a great feeling to come back and defend a title," Muguruza
said in a courtside interview. "It's never easy."
Azarenka received treatment on her leg during a medical time-out
between sets, but it became apparent as the second set began
that her movement had become significantly hampered.
Azarenka was grimacing and stretching after nearly every point
and, after Muguruza broke for a 3-1 lead, the two-time
Australian Open champion decided to call it quits.
The Belarusian had entered the final full of hope after
surprising top seed Angelique Kerber 6-4 4-6 6-1 in Saturday's
semi-finals.
Azarenka had won her only previous meeting with Muguruza in the
round of 16 at the Miami Open in April 2016, when she went on to
win the title in her most recent final before Sunday.
(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina, editing by
Nick Mulvenney)
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