"Thank you from the bottom of my heart," Garcia's first message after playing the final match of her career

Caroline Garcia officially played the last match of her career in the first round of the 2025 US Open. A semi-finalist in New York three years ago during the peak of her career, the Frenchwoman this time bid farewell to tennis after a three-set defeat to Kamilla Rakhimova (6-4, 4-6, 6-3).

The day after her final match against the Russian player, the 31-year-old athlete posted a lengthy message on her X (formerly Twitter) account to share her initial thoughts.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart. First, to tennis, which helped me become the woman I am today. Then, to my family and my team, who stood by me at every step of this journey.

To the supporters, who have been there all around the world, who have supported me and made this adventure ten times more fun and special. Also, thank you to all the people working behind the scenes, from the WTA to the French Tennis Federation, as well as all the volunteers.

And of course, thank you to all my sponsors. My journey hasn't always been easy, but it was absolutely worth it. While I'm excited for what lies ahead in the future, I am also deeply proud of what I've accomplished over the past fifteen years on the tour.

No, I haven't achieved everything, but I've done well. Every step, every challenge, every victory, and every setback has brought me here. I wouldn't change a thing. This isn't a goodbye, it's not a retirement.

First, it's time for the honeymoon! I'm not leaving tennis. In fact, I hope my greatest contribution is still to come. Through my podcast, Tennis Insider Club, I want to help young athletes grow to be the best versions of themselves.

Yesterday was an incredible day that I will never forget, and a reminder that in the end, what matters isn't just what you achieve, but how you achieve it, and, even more importantly, who you share it all with. See you soon, Caro," the post on the social network reads.