Caroline Garcia acknowledges that comments about her aggressive playing style “irritate me” and emphasizes that it is her decision on how to play and disregards external comments.
In the first round of the Dubai tournament, former world No. 4 Garcia faced off against four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, making it a highly anticipated match. As expected, there were impressive shots and great tennis on display, but Garcia ended up on the losing side with a 7-5 6-4 defeat against Osaka.
Despite losing in straight sets, the outcome of the match could have been completely different if Garcia had capitalized on her 5-3 lead in the first set. After Osaka won the ninth game to narrow the gap to 4-5, Garcia had the opportunity to serve for the set. However, she became tense, allowing Osaka to earn her first break point chance, which she converted, tying the set at five games.
Following Osaka’s prevention of Garcia serving for the set, Osaka went on to win the 11th game with a score of 6-5 before breaking Garcia again in the 12th game to secure the first set. In her post-match press conference, Garcia admitted that she became “passive” in the 10th game and expressed her dissatisfaction with it.
“At times, it plays tricks on me because I become a bit passive at 5-4,” Garcia stated after the loss. “I tend to stick to the stereotype of playing cross-court, whereas I usually go for my points by playing along the line. It would be better to be more aggressive because I struggle to assert myself against opponents using the other style of play.”
After winning her first three matches of the season at the United Cup, Garcia has since experienced two victories and five defeats. The loss to Osaka in Doha marked Garcia’s third consecutive defeat.
Reflecting on her loss to Osaka, Garcia revealed her intention to analyze the reasons behind it and learn from the experience. She also acknowledged that she may have been “a little less aggressive” at times during the match against Osaka and found it amusing if someone criticized her for that since she is usually criticized for being too aggressive.
“Sometimes, it’s beneficial to refocus. I can see that at 5-4, I lost the game by being slightly less intense and less aggressive. It helps to assess what works and what doesn’t. However, it’s amusing to receive these questions because I’ve faced so much criticism for being too aggressive,” Garcia commented.
“When it works, everything is fine, but when it doesn’t… inevitably, when 99% of people say that to me, it can affect the way you perceive things when you start to struggle a bit. However, it’s up to me and us to be clear about what works for me and not pay attention to what people say because they don’t truly know you.”
Considering Garcia’s age of 30, receiving criticism about her playing style is nothing new for the Frenchwoman. However, after years of enduring such comments, she has grown tired of them.
“Yes, it’s getting on my nerves because it’s never good enough. When you’re at the top, it’s not good enough; you have to do more. And when it doesn’t work, everything you’ve achieved in 15 years is forgotten,” Garcia expressed.
Having turned professional in 2011, Garcia is an experienced player on the WTA Tour and understands the demands of a tennis season and schedule. While she admits that she may not possess the same energy she had at the beginning of her career, she has learned how to balance everything effectively. Additionally, Garcia emphasized that her goals remain unchanged.
“It’s always about more, more, and more until you’re exhausted. I strive to find a good balance. I can’t say I have the same energy as when I first entered the circuit, but I have the same dreams as before. Sometimes, it feels good to discover how to achieve a balance that brings me genuine happiness in pursuing this journey,” Garcia shared.
After a strong start to her career, Garcia faced a few challenging years before making an impressive comeback in the latter part of 2022, winning four titles and returning to the top 10. Following her triumph at the 2022 WTA Finals and finishing the season ranked among the top 5, many believed that Garcia was ready to compete for Grand Slam titles in 2023 and even challenge for the world No. 1 ranking.
However, after regaining recognition as one of the best players in the game, some of Garcia’s previous issues resurfaced, resulting in her not winning any titles since 2022 and currently being ranked No. 21.
Meanwhile, Garcia is set to participate in the upcoming WTA 1000 event in Dubai, where she aims to end her three-match losing streak and regain her form and rhythm.
According to the Source tennisworldusa.org