for Justine Hénin, “Caroline Garcia is in her place today”
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Last of the French clan still in contention at the US Open, Caroline Garcia continues to see her rating climb in New York, after five authoritative victories where she has not lost a single set. Eighth Frenchwoman in the Open era (since 1968) to qualify for the semi-finals of a Grand Slam in singles – the first since Marion Bartoli in 2013, when she won Wimbledon – the 28-year-old player (17e world) will challenge Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur (world No. 5) on Thursday, September 8 for a place in the final.
Since the start of the fortnight, the Lyonnaise “exudes both confidence and tranquility”, notes the Belgian Justine Hénin, former world number 1, who comments on the tournament for Eurosport.
After four years of doubts and injuries, Garcia has won three tournaments this summer and is preparing to play his first Grand Slam semi-final in singles: what strikes you most about this return to the fore?
Today, she is a player who is in her place, extremely concentrated. It shows, she is confident to be there, whereas in recent years, we felt she was lost on the ground. This return to the top, it starts above all from a fulfillment and this confidence – regained or finally acquired. When she first reached this level, in late 2017 [lors de son doublé Wuhan-Pékin], everything went very quickly, she played very well over a very short period, and behind, it was much more complicated, between injuries, disillusions, doubts also as a person. I had the chance to chat with her, we felt that she was looking for herself a lot.
The physical dimension also plays a role. The glitches seem behind it. However, when you feel physically strong, you believe in yourself much more. It speaks to me because I lived it.
In 2018, she had risen to 4e place in the world, before experiencing a crossing of the desert: was it too early, were the expectations too high?
Today, we feel a maturity in her. She has a risky game, very aggressive, she was already offensive at the time but what she wants to put in place on the court seems much clearer. It is extremely demanding tennis. Managing to hold on with this style of play is a challenge. Inevitably, there will be dips in the coming months, but we hope that she can now settle permanently at the top of the world elite.
She is a player who has gained autonomy, she takes her responsibilities on the field. We also have the impression that she has the right people around her, this is not a trivial factor.
Since December, she has been collaborating with Bertrand Perret. Until the spring of 2021, she trained under her father’s orders. Was this emancipation a necessary step?
Yes, I think it was essential. All of this may have taken time, but it was done smartly, she didn’t cut ties with her family. Each player must find his mode of operation, what is valid for one is not for another. Today, Caroline managed to build her puzzle.
On the court, we see her more determined. You just have to look at the way she clenches her fist when she wins a big point, she gives off a spite that has nothing to do with what we have seen in the past.
His game was already resolutely turned forward, we have the impression that he is even more offensive…
It’s a tennis that hurts a lot today, offensive while being structured; she doesn’t hit just any old how anytime either. In the quarters, we saw a suffocated Coco Gauff, sounded by the assaults of Garcia [l’Américaine a été battue 6-3, 6-4]. For that, you need to have the legs. At the time, it was much harder for Garcia to maintain this intensity. She can also rely on her service, including in important moments.
This US Open represented a first test to know if she was going to confirm her winning streak of the summer: are you surprised by her mental management of the event?
Like many people, I legitimately asked myself the question: would she succeed in reproducing this level on a major event? I was surprised by his match against Gauff, in front of his audience, on the Central. She more than managed the event, I liked seeing her aggressiveness, we feel that she really wants to.
Caroline is a girl that I really appreciate, but I was critical of her at times because we were a little disillusioned to see her so lost. Sometimes, after certain games, I didn’t hear him getting angry.
At some point, an athlete has things to prove in relation to the expectations that one may have, the whole difficulty is to live and assume these expectations. Today, Caroline has obviously found a lot of answers to her questions and proves herself a lot of things: we saw her facing Alison Riske [en huitièmes de finale], whom she had never beaten before. In this tournament and in his career, it’s a new step. Can she go all the way? Yes.
Arriving in New York as an outsider, she can no longer hide…
So far, she has not hidden on the ground, she has responded. Admittedly, she may have been a little overshadowed by Serena in the first week, but given the very open table, we expected a result from Caroline. She assumed, she showed it in front of [la Canadienne Bianca] Andreescu [la vainqueure de l’édition 2019, vaincue par Garcia au 3e tour 6-3, 6-2], then players she had never beaten… The pressure is there, we saw her facing Riske at the start of the match. She just handles it better, that’s the big difference.
His team is probably thinking [à une potentielle victoire finale]the general public too, but Caroline must stay in her bubble.
When we know such a state of grace, what should we be wary of?
It must not be felt like a state of grace by her and her clan. I don’t think it’s a culmination either, it’s a construction, the continuity of his work.
The danger today is the unknown of a Grand Slam semi-final. Arrive in the last four and feel “there is room”. Hence the need to stay in the state of mind that has been his since the start of the tournament and to focus on this match as if it were a 3e round, an eighth… She must continue to protect herself against everything that can be said about her outside.
Can Ons Jabeur represent a trap for her given her style of play?
Jabeur is having a great season: she made a Grand Slam final [Wimbledon] and has been one of the most consistent players this year, her ranking shows. She herself proved to herself that she was capable of many things, she garnered a lot of confidence.
She doesn’t really like being attacked, she is capable of breaking the rhythm, but she will have to raise her level of play. Caroline, she will stay in her aggressive pattern, that’s what she does best: I I would put her as a slight favorite because of her game and everything she’s shown so far in the tournament.
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