“It was only one way for me to play”: Caroline Garcia on how lacking Plan B limited her Grand Slam success

After bidding farewell to tennis at the 2025 US Open, Caroline Garcia has spoken candidly about her decision to retire and the lessons she learned during her career. In a heartfelt conversation with Bryan Shelton, father and coach of American star Ben Shelton, on Tennis Insider Club, the French former player offered a rare and introspective look into the mindset that shaped her as one of the most aggressive and fearless players of her generation.

Garcia, who peaked at World No. 4, was renowned for her bold, high-risk tennis — a style that thrilled fans and frustrated opponents, but also came with its share of challenges. Looking back, she acknowledged that her uncompromising approach sometimes left her without an alternative when her game wasn’t firing. “I should have added in my game more of an Option B because most of the time with my game, it was very risky,” she reflected. “There were, I think, a lot of matches that I lost that I could have been able to win if I had been taught to be like, ‘Ok, today I have to put [the ball] in.’”

Her honesty resonated with many who have followed her rollercoaster journey — from her early promise as a teenager to her stunning resurgence in 2022, when she captured the WTA Finals title in Fort Worth. But Garcia admitted that the one-dimensional nature of her game, forged under the guidance of her father Louis-Paul Garcia, may have limited her potential at key moments. “My dad wanted me to be aggressive, do winners, but there are some days when either I was not feeling it or I was too stressed, and I was not able to do it,” she said. “I didn’t know how to put it in, that maybe putting it in is good enough, and tomorrow I could step on court again and go back to my way.”

Throughout her career, Garcia became known for her intensity, powerful serve, and relentless forehand aggression. Yet behind that explosive game, she often battled the mental and emotional strain of needing perfection to win. In hindsight, she recognises that adaptability — not just power — might have helped her take that elusive next step at the Grand Slams.

The 30-year-old Frenchwoman explained that her biggest regret wasn’t losing certain matches, but never learning how to approach them differently. “It was only one way for me to play, and it didn’t open me to another way,” Garcia said. “It was like, I don’t know how to do the rest. Maybe if I spent time doing, maybe I could have learned, and maybe I would have only used it for five matches a year, but maybe those five matches a year will allow me to do one step more in the Slams.”

Her reflections reveal not frustration, but maturity — an acceptance that even the strongest players need versatility and emotional support to grow. “So, I think that’s what I missed: learning an Option B but also having someone to tell me how to do an Option B and have the confidence I could do it,” Garcia continued. “The support from my team around and, at that time, my father, to give me more options.”

While Garcia’s career had its share of highs — including 11 WTA titles and memorable runs at major events — it was also marked by the immense pressure of expectations. After years of highs and lows, the emotional toll of chasing peak performance became too heavy.