20 Questions: Caroline Garcia

An accomplished doubles player with a French Open title, Caroline Garcia is now soaring up the singles rankings. A breakthrough 2017 season for the 24-year-old culminated with a rise to the world’s top 10 and WTA Finals debut.

What do you most like about yourself?
That is not an easy question. I mean, I don’t really know, but I just know where I come from and I always remember which people helped me when I needed it the most. I just try to be simple and I’m really close to my family and friends.

What do you most dislike about yourself?
Oh, I can get very emotional (laughs).

What’s the greatest benefit of being famous?
I think it is nice when people realise it is you. When it is a huge fan and you see their face, there is just nothing like it.

What quality do you most like in other people?
To be able to listen to others.

What frustrates or annoys you the most?
People who are never happy and always negative.

What has been your best moment on the tennis court?
There are so many. To win a title is always an amazing feeling, so for sure when I won in Wuhan and Beijing (in 2017). But I also remember very well my titles in Bogota, Strasbourg and Mallorca.

What advice do you wish you received earlier in your career?
Focus on yourself and don’t care about all the other opinions. Just listen carefully to my parents and my close friends.

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What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
Probably coming from my parents, a little bit the same as the previous one, just don’t care about what others want and just think about what you want. I really listen to my parents and they’ve really helped me.

What is your perfect day?
It depends – some days you just want to rest and other days you want to see plenty of things. Good food always makes a nice day (laughs).

Are you superstitious about anything?
Not really, no.

What is the biggest or most extravagant purchase you have made for yourself?
Nothing. I always wanted a Burberry scarf and every single time I was waiting to see the price and I would be like ‘no, I can’t do it’. It happened three or four times, then my parents came back with one for me, so that was nice.

Who is someone you really admire?
Definitely on court Roger Federer, but I think off court he is also a great champion because he has done so many great results and still wants to improve his game. I don’t know him very well but to see him around at tournaments is pretty cool.

What is your greatest fear?
To not enjoy the present enough.

What is your most treasured possession?
I definitely love my pet (a Yorkshire named Endy). They always feel when you are not happy and they come to you, so I definitely love my little dog.

What would you do if you were not a tennis player?
Actress.

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Where is the best place you have traveled to?
I don’t know. I have done so many, but I definitely like Mexico.

Where would you most like to go that you have not been to yet?
So many places also! I want to do a safari, but I also would love to go to Paradise Island. After my career I will have time.

If you could have dinner with anyone who would it be?
This is a tough one. Probably Roger Federer, because you can learn so much from him.

What was your worst subject in school?
Maths, for sure (laughs).

How difficult is it dealing with criticism on social media?
It is very hard. I have been through it, so I know how it is. It is difficult not to read it, because sometimes there is some very nice messages, but when you read the criticism and the bad things, it hurts you like deep inside, so now I just try not to look at it. Sometimes after a great victory I will go and check some of the very nice messages, but I know those (negative) kind of messages are there also.

This article first appeared in Australian Tennis Magazine.