Caroline Garcia steps away from tennis: "I am exhausted from anxiety and panic attacks"

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The balance of Caroline Garcia in the current season is 17 wins in 17 tournaments played. Her name continues to feature within the top 40 globally, but the ambitions of one of the best players in the locker room cannot settle for that. After her recent stint in Guadalajara, the 30-year-old tennis player made a brave decision: to end the calendar. But what she did this morning was truly brave—sharing a text on social media explaining how she feels, why there has been so much suffering, and what dreams she holds for the future. A vital exercise in transparency to empathize with the human being behind each athlete.

Guadalajara marked the end of my 2024 season. It wasn't an easy decision, because in tennis, every week of rest feels like taking a step back, losing points in the rankings, and missing out on opportunities. But I know this is the right decision to come back stronger in 2025 and once again strive for those crucial moments.

Physically, I feel I pushed my shoulder to the limit, trying to recover while competing, but it hasn't worked. The truth is, I need more rest time to recover properly.

Mentally, I think I need a reset; I need to step away from the constant tennis routine, take a real vacation, reconnect with my family and loved ones, and allow myself to breathe without the pressure that always comes with sports performance.

This year, I had a toxic mindset. I lost touch with the joy of being a tennis player, became obsessed with rankings and victories. My results didn't align with the goals I had set or the expectations I had. The work, the sacrifices, the pain... everything remained the same as before, but the results weren't there, so I couldn't compete at the usual level that I know I can reach. This was very hard to accept.

Now that I'm 30, I can see that I've had an incredible career: I've won WTA 1000 titles, the WTA Finals, Grand Slams in doubles, and reached World No. 4. However, mentally, I've been stuck on what I've achieved: I never reached No. 1, never won a Grand Slam, and never stepped onto an Olympic podium. I've been inconsistent, unable to stay in the top 10 for a full year.

Do I believe I can still reach these goals? Some days, yes, but there are others when I'm not so sure. I'm not sure if I can keep pushing myself in the same way as before.

I'm exhausted by the anxiety, panic attacks, and tears before matches. Tired of missing family moments and never having a place I can truly call home. I'm tired of living in a world where my worth is measured by last week's results, my ranking, or my unforced errors.

For a long time, I let tennis consume me, hence I suffered the emotional ups and downs of each result. But I'm much more than that; I'm a woman with values, talents, passions, flaws, and strengths. I'm not perfect, but I do the best I can.

I wish changing, growing, and adopting a new mindset were easy. I wish I could go out and play freely, smile, and give my best when needed. But, as my friend Alizé Cornet says, real change takes time. You can't erase years of knowledge overnight.

Lately, I've felt overwhelmed by the tour, the pressure to perform, and the scrutinizing eyes on every move. I've been battling anxiety, shutting myself off, feeling trapped on the court. Winning no longer brings me satisfaction; it simply gives me relief that it's over.

Despite everything, I love tennis. It has brought me so much—lessons, experiences, amazing people (like my fiancé), and individual emotions. Tennis has molded me into who I am today. So, for now, I've decided to step away. I'll take a few weeks off to recharge and then begin preparing for 2025 in advance. I'll prepare physically, mentally, and tactically.

When I eventually leave tennis, I want to look back and say I enjoyed the journey, that I'm proud of myself, and that I gave it my all. In the end, I won some significant things along the way, and that will always remain.

Thank you all for your support. See you in Australia.

Caro.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Caroline Garcia se aleja del tenis: “Estoy agotada por la ansiedad y los ataques de pánico”