French tennis player Caroline Garcia recently announced that she is ending her challenging 2024 season, sharing her personal struggles with anxiety and panic attacks on social media. Once ranked as high as No. 4 in the world and a top player on the WTA Tour, Garcia faced a year filled with pressure, mental exhaustion, and physical strain, leading her to take a break to find herself again.
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A Season Full of Pressure and Anxiety
In her posts on Instagram and X, Garcia revealed that her mindset had been in a negative state throughout the 2024 season, resulting in matches where she felt physically and mentally drained. “I’m exhausted from anxiety, panic, and tears before matches,” Garcia wrote. “Tired of missing family moments and never having a real place to call home.”
Garcia, 30, ended the season with a 17-16 record in singles matches and is currently ranked No. 36 in the WTA rankings. She recently lost her latest match to Magdalena Frech of Poland in the semifinals of the Guadalajara Open on September 14, a defeat Garcia described as “one of many panic and anxiety attacks” throughout the year.
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Mental Collapse and Performance Pressure
Garcia shared that the pressure to maintain her ranking and win matches had caused her to lose the joy of playing tennis. “I’m tired of living in a world where my value is judged by last week’s results, my ranking, or my mistakes,” she wrote. She also admitted that the pressure had become so overwhelming that she couldn’t recover physically or mentally. “Physically, I pushed my shoulder to the limit, trying to recover while competing, but it didn’t work,” she said.
She emphasized that not only her body but also her mind needed a “reset” after a long, exhausting season. Garcia acknowledged that she needed time away from tennis to rest, reconnect with family and loved ones, and allow herself to “breathe without the pressure of performance.”
Achievements and Unmet Goals
Garcia has had an impressive career with remarkable achievements, including 11 WTA titles, a victory at the 2022 WTA Finals, and multiple 1000-level titles. However, she admitted that she remains haunted by the goals she has yet to achieve. “I never reached No. 1, never won a Grand Slam, never stood on the Olympic podium,” Garcia wrote. Despite reaching No. 4 in the world, she feels she has never truly stabilized or maintained a high ranking over time.
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“I’ve had an incredible career… but in my mind, I’m still stuck on what I haven’t achieved,” she confessed. Garcia questioned her ability to maintain the same effort moving forward and expressed uncertainty about her future: “Some days, yes, other days, I’m not so sure. I’m not sure if I can keep pushing myself like I have in the past.”
Seeking Balance and a Fresh Start
Garcia plans to take several weeks off to recover before returning to the court to prepare for the 2025 season. During this break, she hopes to rediscover the balance between her personal life and professional career. “For too long, I’ve let tennis consume my mind, riding the emotional rollercoaster of every result,” Garcia shared. She aims to use this time to reconnect with herself, her family, and prepare for a new journey with a clearer, more relaxed mindset.
“But I am more than that. I am a woman with value, talent, passion, flaws, and strengths. I’m not perfect, but I’m trying my best,” Garcia affirmed.
Conclusion
Caroline Garcia is going through a challenging period in her career, but her decision to take a break and find joy in her personal life could be a crucial turning point for her to restart. With her proven talent and determination, fans can hope to see a stronger and more focused Garcia in the upcoming season.
