Former French number one Caroline Garcia retired from the women’s tour on Tuesday following a first-round defeat at the US Open in New York.
World number 85 Kamilla Rakhimova beat the 31-year-old 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in two hours and 17 minutes to bring the curtain down on a 14-year career.
Following her last match as a professional, Garcia was presented with a trophy celebrating her time on the circuit by the US Open tournament director Stacey Allaster and Gilles Moretton, the boss of the French tennis federation (FFT).
"Tennis brought me so much," Garcia told spectators on Court 6 at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows.
"There were some great emotions and some tough ones but it shaped me to become the person I am today.
"I am at peace with the decision to say goodbye to tennis ... at least in competition and the suffering that goes with it. I cannot handle it any more."
Soon after the defeat, the FFT published a video tribute to Garcia and Moretton hailed her contribution to French tennis.
"Congratulations on a magnificent, career," said Moretton on social media. "You've been a determined, talented and inspirational player."
Teenage talent at French Open
In 2011, a 17-year-old Garcia was invited by Moretton's predecessors to play in the main draw.
In the second round, the then world number 188 led seventh seed Maria Sharapova 6-3, 4-1.
But the Russian reeled off 11 consecutive games to claim the encounter 3-6, 6-4, 6-0.
Garcia's game and attitude brought compliments from pundits and players including the men's fourth seed Andy Murray who posted on his social media account during the match on Centre Court: "The girl Sharapova is playing is going to be number one in the world one day ... what a player."
Murray's prediction never came true.
But Garcia went on to win 11 singles titles including the 2022 WTA end-of-season championships which propelled her back to a career high of number four in the world rankings.
But since that peak, injuries, poor form and disillusion with the game led to a fall to 174.
"It was a great run," Garcia told journalists after the match. "I did great things on court and I achieved what I could achieve.
'You can always achieve more'
"Obviously you can always achieve more and I was dreaming of achieving more but I'm happy to be at peace with my decision and move forward with my life and end my chapter as a tennis player."
In February 2024, Garcia launched the Tennis Insider podcast with her partner Borja Duran. Guests have included Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa, who spoke about their lives on the circuit and their ambitions.
"Obviously I want to keep going with the podcast," Garcia added. "Little by little it is growing. We believe we are doing some good things and giving back to tennis by looking behind the scenes with the players and coaches.
"If the podcast can help some young players out there, it would be the best reward I could get. Now I see a future for myself in tennis and 12 months ago it wasn't the case."
Though she failed to brandish a singles crown at one of the four Grand Slam tournaments in Melbourne, Paris, London and New York, Garcia became an accomplished doubles player.
She won eight titles with various partners including the 2016 and 2022 French Open with Kristina Mladenovic.
On Tuesday, Diane Parry, one of the contenders to be France's top female player, eliminated Petra Kvitova 6-1, 6-0, in what was the Czech player’s last match.
Kvitova won 31 singles titles including Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014. Parry, the world 107, will play Renata Zarazua from Mexico on Wednesday for a place in the third round.
On Tuesday, the French number one Lois Boisson will play her first match in the main draw at the US Open.
The 22-year-old, who reached the semi-finals at the French Open in June, takes on the Swiss player Viktorija Golubic.
