Caroline Garcia ends 'toxic' tennis season, cites panic attacks, anxiety

Sept. 27 (UPI) -- French tennis player Caroline Garcia, who experienced anxiety and panic attacks, will end her 2024 season and seek a reset, she announced Friday on social media.

"I'm exhausted from the anxiety , the panic attacks, the tears before matches," Garcia wrote on Instagram and X. "Tired of missing out on family moments and never having a place to 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."

Garcia, 30, went 17-16 in singles matches this season. The No. 36 player in the WTA Tour singles rankings lost her most recent match to No. 31 Magdalena Frech of Poland in a Guadalajara Open semifinal Sept. 14 in Mexico.

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The former world No. 4, who made her best major title run with a 2022 U.S. Open semifinal appearance, failed to advance past the second round of a Grand Slam this season. The 2022 WTA Finals champion, Garcia has 11 career WTA singles tournament titles.

"Physically, I've been pushing my shoulder to its limit, trying to recover while competing, and it's just not working," Garcia wrote Friday on her social media platforms. "I need more time off to heal properly.

"Mentally, I need a reset. I need to step away from the constant grind of tennis, take a real holiday, reconnect with my family and loved ones, and allow myself to breathe without the pressure of performance."

Garcia said her "mindset was toxic" in 2024 and that she "lost touch with the joy of being a tennis player" because of an obsession on rankings and victories.

"I'm 30 now, and I've had an incredible career -- winning 1000-level titles, the WTA Finals, doubles Slams, reaching No. 4 in the world, but in my mind, I've been stuck on what I haven't achieved," Garcia wrote.

"I never made it to No. 1, never won a Slam, never reached an Olympic podium. I've been inconsistent, unable to stay in the Top 10 for a full year. Do I believe I can still achieve those things? Some days, yes. Other days, I'm not so sure. I'm not certain I can keep pushing in the same way I have before."

Garcia plans to take a few weeks off. She will then return to the court to prepare for her 2025 season.

"For too long, I've let tennis consume me, ride the emotional highs and lows of every result," Garcia wrote. "But I'm more than that. I'm a woman with values, talents, passions, flaws and strengths. I'm not perfect, but I'm doing my best."