When Caroline Garcia made her US Open debut, in 2013, she was 19. She had already turned pro six years earlier, and would eventually rank as high as No. 4 in the world, make the 2022 US Open singles semifinals, and win two Roland Garros women’s doubles titles (in 2016 and 2022).
She would also compete in three Olympics, including last summer in Paris.
But in late May of this year, the 31-year-old newlywed said that the 2025 US Open would be her last tournament. As a wild card, she hoped to make another deep run in New York, but was eliminated in Round 1 on Monday by Kamilla Rakhimova in three sets.
Afterwards, at her final singles press conference, she took a moment to reflect on the match and the decision to end her competitive career.
“Yeah, obviously, it’s not really easy to step on the court when you don't know it's your last match,” she said of Monday’s loss. “It's kind of a tricky moment. [I had] a lot of emotion before the match. But, yeah, it meant a lot for me to play one more time US Open."
Less than an hour after being eliminated, she said honestly, “It’s kind of weird to say, but I'm very happy. It was a great run. I did a great thing on court, and I went until [I achieved] what I could achieve. You can always achieve more, and I was dreaming of achieving more. But I'm very happy and in peace with my decision to move forward with my life and close the chapter of being a tennis player."
Multiple factors led to the decision. “The last couple of years for me were hard, tricky, and kind of dark,” she explained. “I almost left last year by hating tennis. I thought it was the worst sport out there.
“At one point competing and everything it takes to be at the top, I didn't want to do it. I couldn't handle it anymore, but I still love tennis.
“I did a lot of work on myself to understand what was going on, [committed to] one more season, leave it my own way, and build again my love for the sport and my passion for tennis."
Now that she’s done, Garcia said, “I want to keep going [my] podcast: [Tennis Insider Club]. Little by little it's growing, doing some good things, giving back, sharing behind the scenes, sharing tips from the best players and coaches. If it can help some young players out there, it would be the best reward I could get. Now I see a future for myself in tennis, and 12 months ago it was not the case.”
As for her immediate future, Garcia said she had no idea what she will be doing. “Next week? You've got to give me some time,” she said with a grin. “Not much planned. We have a wonderful wedding of my brother-in-law to attend, so some more emotions. But not much.
“We want to enjoy a bit, relax, stay in one place. Get out all the things from the suitcase for once and just be chill.”
