Caroline Garcia on her complicated season: “I was starting to be afraid of going on the field”

Life on the professional tennis circuit is not always rosy. Between loneliness, travel, defeats and disappointments, it can even endanger the mental health of certain athletes. While she announced that she had ended her season prematurely, in particular to treat an injury to her right shoulder, Caroline Garcia explained in an interview with L’Équipe that this decision was also intended to ease her mind. , to “put the woman in the foreground, ahead of the tennis player. »

On her social networks, the Frenchwoman had already raised this issue. “I need a reset.” I need to get away from the routine of tennis, take a real vacation, reconnect with my family and loved ones, and allow myself to breathe without the pressure of performance. This year my mindset was toxic. I lost the joy of being a tennis player and became obsessed with rankings and victories,” she lamented.

A feeling confirmed in the interview. “What pains me is that when I arrive in competition, I completely forget what tennis is basically: a game,” she said, explaining that she came close to a panic attack before start the season on grass. This is what I want to reconnect with, by cutting away for a few weeks from the competition and the toxic state of mind, the judgments, the fear of results, of the ranking. »

“The emotional roller coaster”

Especially since these anxieties have an impact on his personal life, off the courts. “When I am stressed in competition, it affects me as a person and it affects my relationships,” assures Caroline Garcia. I want to stay healthy! I can’t intentionally put myself in a situation that will hurt me. Normally, I am a fairly cheerful person, with a zest for life. But as soon as I arrived in competition, I had a mask on. I was losing all my joy in life. »

The 36th in the world even thought she no longer liked this sport, before changing her mind. “Until halfway through the season, I really thought that I no longer loved tennis,” assured Caroline Garcia. I’m glad I didn’t take my break earlier in the year and pushed on to Guadalajara. Teaching tennis to my partner and having good training sessions with Collins opened my eyes. I realized that with the right state of mind, the right vibes around, the right energy, tennis, I love it. »