Julien Moreau // Photo credits: Gao Jing / XINHUA / Xinhua via AFP
7:00 p.m., May 24, 2024
French No.1 Caroline Garcia, who will start Roland-Garros this weekend against a player from qualifying, reassured this Friday about her physical condition. “I know that my level can allow me to beat any player,” analyzes the Frenchwoman at a press conference.
A French feat Porte d’Auteuil? Despite her average results during the clay season, Caroline Garcia is the most anticipated French player at Roland-Garros. In Rome and Madrid, the tennis player was knocked out in the third round of the competition and the Frenchwoman has not progressed beyond the second round of the Parisian Grand Slam since 2020. “My preparation went well. Rome went well. finished a little earlier than expected, we did a good preparation in Spain before arriving here to start on Wednesday, everything is going well,” said the 23rd in the world.
Two players are above the rest
The Lyonnaise will face a player from qualifying in the first round, and could then be opposed to the American Sofia Kenin, finalist at Roland-Garros in 2020. “The player I will face in the first round will be lower ranked, but will arrive in confidence and will have gained bearings on the field here She will be three matches behind,” she added. Unlike the men’s draw where several players can win the tournament, two players are above the rest: the Polish Iga Swiatek and the Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka. “Afterwards, obviously, when you play a Grand Slam tournament, you know what’s in store at the end of two weeks. Compared to my start to the season and my history, I know that my level can allow me to beat n “any player”, analyzes the Frenchwoman.
“Am I capable of producing it over two weeks? It’s a question mark compared to the latest results. I’m not going to say that I’m the favorite, that’s for sure, but am I believe in my chances? Yes,” she adds with a smile on her face, letting it be understood that she knows perfectly well that her chances of making it to the end are almost non-existent.
Since launching her podcast, Caroline Garcia has been feeling better. “For me, it’s an adventure that I really enjoy, that does me a lot of good. It allows me to get out of my comfort zone and be something other than a tennis player. It’s important for my last years and for beyond,” says the Frenchwoman. At the conclusion of her press conference, the Lyonnaise admitted, half-heartedly, that she was going to participate in the Olympic Games which will be held at Roland-Garros at the end of July 2024.
