By SABC Sport
28th September 2024
The 30-year-old French player, who has struggled to progress beyond the second round of any Grand Slam this year, revealed that in addition to a shoulder injury, the mental strain of life on the tennis tour has taken a significant toll on her well-being.
Garcia is currently ranked 36th in the world.
"I'm tired of living in a world where my worth is measured by last week's results, my ranking, or my unforced errors," Garcia wrote on X.
"Mentally, I need a reset. I need to step away from the constant grind of tennis.
"I'm exhausted from the anxiety, the panic attacks, the tears before matches. [I'm] tired of missing out on family moments and never having a place to truly call home.
"Physically, I've been pushing my shoulder to its limit, trying to recover while competing, and it's just not working. I need more time off to heal properly."
Garcia previously called out the "damaging" abuse tennis players suffer online after suffering a surprise first-round US Open defeat against Mexico's Renata Zarazua.
The Frenchwoman said she has been obssessed with her failures, rather than her successes.
"In my mind, I've been stuck on what I haven't achieved. I never made it to number one, never won a (singles) Slam, never reached an Olympic podium. I've been inconsistent, unable to stay in the top 10 for a full year," she wrote.
"I'm choosing to step away for now. I'm taking a few weeks off to recharge, then I'll start preparing for 2025 early - getting ready physically, mentally, and tactically."