The quotes of 2022, episode 20 – Garcia: “I was one of those little girls with shaking hands”

To end 2022, Tennis Majors offers you a review, in chronological order and in series format, on the outstanding, inspiring or funny quotes of the year. Episode 20, Caroline Garcia crowned year-end queen

Zuma/Panoramic)

Mathieu Canac

December 30, 2022

“Fly with Caro.” Her opponents would have liked to, but during the second half of the season Caroline Garcia often went too high for them to follow.

Ranked as low as world No. 79 entering the French Open, Garcia ended the year by matching the best ranking of her career, a No 4 that she had reached in September 2018 – achieved in particular thanks to four additional titles: Bad Homburg, Warsaw, and the Cincinnati Masters 1000 before finishing in style by becoming the second Frenchwoman in history to win the Masters (after Amélie Mauresmo in 2005).

“Is it important to leave a trace, to mark French tennis? It’s not the main motivation, but it’s in a small corner of my mind,” she said in French after her WTA Finals victory. “When you see the little girls with shaking hands asking you to sign a ball for them, it means a lot, and it brings a lot of emotions because I was one of those little girls. To be on the other side, to share a moment with them, to ‘make their day’ when for you it’s so small, it’s awesome.”

The little girl is now a grown-up – who can stop those hands from trembling in the most important of moments.