Garcia ends season early after ‘anxiety attacks’
Caroline Garcia is ranked 36th in the world [Getty Images]
Former world number four Caroline Garcia will not play again this season after being left “exhausted” by anxiety and panic attacks.
The 30-year-old Frenchwoman did not made it past the second round of a Grand Slam event this year.
As well as a shoulder injury, Garcia, who is now 36th in the rankings, says she has been suffering from the mental toll of life on the tennis tour.
“I’m tired of living in a world where my worth is measured by last week’s results, my ranking, or my unforced errors,” Garcia wrote on X.
“Mentally, I need a reset. I need to step away from the constant grind of tennis.
“I’m exhausted from the anxiety, the panic attacks, the tears before matches. [I’m] tired of missing out on family moments and never having a place to truly call home.
“Physically, I’ve been pushing my shoulder to its limit, trying to recover while competing, and it’s just not working. I need more time off to heal properly.”
Following a surprise first-round US Open defeat by Mexico’s Renata Zarazua in August, Garcia called out the “damaging” abuse tennis players suffer online.
World number one Iga Swiatek criticised the tour schedule in August, saying players’ mental and physical health is ignored.
Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka withdrew from the 2021 French Open after suffering with depression and went on to take a break from the sport.
American 2023 US Open champion Coco Gauff also previously spoke about struggling with depression because of the “pressure that she needed to do well”.
Despite winning 11 WTA titles and two doubles Grand Slam titles in her career, Garcia says she has been fixated on her failures, rather than her successes.
“In my mind, I’ve been stuck on what I haven’t achieved. I never made it to number one, never won a (singles) Slam, never reached an Olympic podium. I’ve been inconsistent, unable to stay in the top 10 for a full year,” she wrote.
“I’m choosing to step away for now. I’m taking a few weeks off to recharge, then I’ll start preparing for 2025 early—getting ready physically, mentally, and tactically.”
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