Garcia puts an end to her season: "I let tennis consume me"
Caroline Garcia will no longer be seen on a tennis court in 2024.
After an extremely disappointing season in which she lost more matches than she won (15 defeats, 14 victories), the Frenchwoman seems more exhausted than ever and has decided to take a break.
In a long message posted on social networks, she explains that she is in physical pain, due to a shoulder injury that she hasn't really taken the time to heal: "Physically, I've pushed my shoulder to its limits, trying to recover while taking part in competitions, and it's not working."
The 30-year-old also explains that she suffers psychologically from the world of professional tennis.
Indeed, it's above all this psychological exhaustion that seems to explain her choice: "I'm exhausted by the anxiety, the panic attacks, the tears before matches.
I'm tired of missing out on family time and never having a place to call home.
I'm tired of living in a world where my worth is measured by last week's results, my ranking or my unforced errors.
For too long, I've let tennis consume me, I've let myself get caught up in the emotional highs and lows of every result.
But I'm more than that. I'm a woman with values, talents, passions, flaws and strengths. I'm not perfect, but I do my best."
Garcia is scheduled to return to the courts at the Australian Open in January 2025.
It's a small shock in the world of French tennis, but it's also yet another statement about the faltering mental health of many players on the ATP and WTA tours.
The question is: is the subject sufficiently taken into account by the governing bodies?