"It was my last Roland, I'm ending my career at the end of the year," announces Barrère after his defeat
Eliminated in his first qualifying match at Roland-Garros against Czech player Svrcina (6-2, 6-4), Barrère made a major announcement following his loss. In a press conference, the Frenchman declared he would end his career at the end of the season:
"It was my last Roland, I'm ending my career at the end of the year. I’m happy to have been able to play here one last time. The ranking is dropping, the physical issues, I have a child now. It’s too hard. I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Several times during my career, I wanted to stop, but I always managed to come back into the top 100.
This time, I don’t feel capable. I’ll have to undergo Achilles tendon surgery at the end of the year, it’ll take too long, and so I’d have to start over in Futures, and I don’t want that."
Plagued by injuries and close to falling out of the top 300, Barrère will retire from the circuit at just 31 years old. His highest ranking was world No. 49.
Features - Saudi Arabia, injuries, war, and business: the fascinating underbelly of tennis revealed by TennisTemple
Tennis, Saudi Arabia’s new playground
The impact of the war on tennis in Ukraine: financial aid, foundations, governing bodies and all‑round headaches
The outfit wars: how clothing contracts dominate the tennis business