Former World No. 4 Caroline Garcia withdrew from this month’s Madrid Open due to back issues, raising questions about her health ahead of the French opening in late May.
“After doing more tests on my back, it’s clear that I can’t play for Madrid,” Garcia wrote on social media on Friday. “We need to spend time on treatment and recovery. We will do everything we can to prepare for Rome, but our main goal is to reach strong and healthy for Roland Garros.”
The 31-year-old French woman could skip this week’s Rouen Open and miss the Italian Open during the build-up of her second Grand Slam, which begins on May 25th, following a second round defeat at Indian Wells and Miami.
Garcia, who won the WTA Finals in 2022 and reached the US Open semifinals that year, has had the French hopes of being a homemade women’s singles champion at Roland Garros, but she has never passed the quarterfinals.
Garcia finished the 2024 season early in September due to anxiety and panic attacks. World 99 said injuries early in the current campaign are difficult to accept.
“After last year’s break, I came back feeling happier, clearer, more motivated. The outcome wasn’t there yet, but I really believed in the path I was on. “Now, it’s about finding a way to control what I can, maintain my perspective and embrace my journey.
“Paris is still a dream, and I will continue to fight for it.”