PARIS (AP) — Caroline Garcia wiped away a tear in the tunnel leading to Court Suzanne-Lenglen on Monday. She brushed it off, smiled, then stepped into the light — for what turned out to be her final singles match at theFrench Open. The 31-year-old Frenchwoman, who announced on Fridayshe will retire later this season, lost in the first round to American Bernarda Pera 6-4, 6-4. It was Garcia's 14th consecutive appearance at her home Grand Slam tournament. "It's time to say goodbye," Garcia had written in a social media post. "After 15 years competing at the highest level, and over 25 years devoting almost every second of my life to this sport, I feel ready to turn the page and open a new chapter." Garcia has won 11 WTA titles and captured the WTA Finals crown in 2022, the same year she reached the U.S. Open semifinals. She also won the French Open doubles title in 2016 and climbed as high as No. 4 in the singles rankings in 2018. Her path hasn't always been smooth. Injuries, pressure, and a break from the sport in 2022 tested her resolve. That same year, she revealed she hadstruggled with eating disorders, triggered by the physical pain of a foot injury and the emotional toll of the tour. Though Garcia bid farewell to Roland-Garros, she said she hopes to play two more majors. "I would like to go to Wimbledon," she said. "Depends on my ranking, of course, because I went down. Depends if I get a wild card or not. And then the U.S. Open." ___ AP tennis:https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
