“I don’t hate tennis—I hated where I was at that moment” Caroline Garcia discusses her farewell at US Open

Caroline Garcia has never been one to hide her emotions on court. But as she closes the chapter on her professional career, the French star has offered raw honesty about the mental toll of life at the top and why she chose to leave the sport at just 30 years old.

“The two previous seasons were very tough for me,” Garcia explained in a conversation with Courtside Connection - the Roland Garros podcast. “I was disappointed with my results, but more than that, I wasn’t sleeping well, my mood was off, and I told my husband: when I’m done, I’ll never play tennis again. I’ll never step on court again.”

For Garcia, the problem was not the sport itself. “I didn’t actually hate tennis. I hated where I was at that moment—all the stress and expectations I was putting on myself.” With the help of her psychologist and her husband, she rediscovered enjoyment and allowed herself to compete one final season, this time on her own terms.

“It was important for me to stop because I decided to, not because my body couldn’t handle it or because I hated tennis,” she explained. “That’s why I’m very much at peace with it.”

When Garcia announced her retirement, she did it on the stage closest to her heart: Roland-Garros. Twice a doubles champion in Paris, she always carried the dream of lifting the singles trophy in front of the French crowd.

“Winning Roland-Garros in singles was my goal, my dream,” she admitted. “Knowing I would never do that was emotional. But I did win it in doubles, and that’s very special—especially the second one, which was so unexpected.”

Injury meant she was far from her best prepared for her final French Open, but she refused to let that stop her from playing. “I did everything—physio, fitness, treatment—just to be on court,” Garcia said. “Many times at Roland-Garros I played overstressed and couldn’t enjoy it. This time, it was about feeling the love of the fans.”

Her true farewell came later that summer in New York. Garcia accepted a wildcard into the US Open, determined not to let injuries make Roland-Garros her last stop. “I didn’t want Roland-Garros to be my very last tournament,” she explained. “I prepared really well for Cincinnati and the US Open, knowing it would be the end.”

The US Open had been the scene of her best Slam result, a semi-final run in 2022. “Every match that tournament was solid. It was my best Slam, and it was important because I enjoyed myself as well.”

But for Garcia, the event’s atmosphere was as memorable as the results. “It’s always loud, hectic, exhausting,” she laughed. “In 2022, during my night match at Armstrong, I asked the umpire after the warm-up, ‘Is it always this loud?’ She said yes. You just have to get used to the permanent buzz. Even when you go back to Manhattan, it’s still loud. The city never sleeps.”

Looking back, Garcia doesn’t shy away from naming her toughest rivals—and two names instantly come to mind. “Petra Kvitová gave me no time,” she said without hesitation. “She hit so hard and so flat, I never had time to react. It was like the ball was on me before I’d even finished my swing. Playing her indoors was even worse—everything was faster, and she could take the racquet right out of my hands. Against Petra, I always felt I had to go for broke, because if I played safe, I was done.”

Simona Halep, meanwhile, brought a completely different challenge. “She made you work for every single point,” Garcia recalled. “With Simona, you could hit three, four, five good shots and she’d still send one more ball back. Against her I had to be aggressive and really go for my shots, but even then she could make me play one more ball every time. It was exhausting mentally as much as physically.”

The contrast between the two opponents forced Garcia to adapt in opposite directions. “With Petra, I needed to react faster and try to take time away from her, even though that was her strength. With Simona, it was about patience and discipline—finding the right moment to step in without rushing. They were very different tests, but both of them pushed me to my limits.”