After a final tournament in Mexico where she reached the semi-finals, the first Frenchwoman in the WTA rankings announced on social networks on Friday the end of her season.
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“I’m taking a few weeks off to recharge the batteries, then I’ll start preparing for 2025.” First Frenchwoman in the WTA ranking (36th), Caroline Garcia announced the early end of her season, Friday September 27, on social networks. After a semi-final lost to the Polish Magdalana Frech at the WTA 500 in Guadalajara (Mexico), mid-September, the Lyonnaise chose to end her season and not return to the competition courts in 2024.
“It wasn’t an easy decision, because in tennis, every week off feels like you’re falling behind – you’re losing ranking points and ‘missing’ opportunities. But I know it’s the right decision to come back stronger in 2025 and fight for great moments again”justifies the 36th player in the world in a long message shared on her X account.
Caroline Garcia evokes physical discomfort, a shoulder “pushed to its limit” who has “need more time to heal”but above all great mental fatigue. “Mentally, I need to take a break (…) This year my mindset was toxic. I lost the joy of being a tennis player and became obsessed with rankings and winningshe reveals. My results did not live up to the goals I had set for myself or the expectations I had. The work, the sacrifices, the pain – everything seemed the same as before, but the results weren’t there and I wasn’t able to play at the level I know I’m capable of. It’s hard to accept.”
La Lyonnaise had a complicated year in 2024 in terms of results. In Grand Slam, she did not go beyond the second round (Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon), and was eliminated as soon as she entered the competition in New York at the end of August. After this match, she raised the possibility of burnout with The Team. Since her semi-final in Rouen in April, she has not had two consecutive victories in seven tournaments.
Caroline Garcia says in particular “exhausted from anxiety, panic attacks, tears before matches”, “tired of living in a world where my worth is measured by last week’s results, my ranking, or my unforced errors.” Before adding: “For too long I let tennis consume me, suffering the emotional highs and lows of every result.” She indicates that she will rest before moving forward during the 2025 season.