Caroline Garcia Steps Back: Anxiety and Panic Attacks Halt Tennis Career

Former world number four, Caroline Garcia, has announced she will not compete for the rest of the season due to anxiety, panic attacks, and physical injuries. She plans to reset mentally and physically to prepare for a strong comeback in 2025.

In a heartfelt announcement, former world number four Caroline Garcia revealed she is stepping away from tennis for the remainder of the season due to struggles with anxiety, panic attacks, and physical injuries. The Frenchwoman stated her need for a mental and physical reset ahead of a planned 2025 comeback.

Garcia, who experienced career highs such as winning the WTA Finals in 2022 and reaching the U.S. Open semi-finals the same year, confessed she's been pushing her body to its limit. 'Physically, I've been pushing my shoulder to its limit,' she wrote on X, admitting that continued competition wasn't allowing proper recovery.

Mentally exhausted from the grind of tennis and the constant pressure of performance metrics, Garcia emphasized the toll on her well-being. Despite her impressive career achievements, including two doubles Grand Slam titles and 11 WTA titles, Garcia has been fixated on her perceived failures and is using this time off to regroup. Mental health continues to be a critical issue in sports, highlighted by cases such as Naomi Osaka's 2021 revelations.

(With inputs from agencies.)