CAROLINE GARCIA QUESTIONS IF VICTORIES ARE WORTH IT AFTER SHARING 'UNBEARABLE PAIN'

France's Caroline Garcia shares a photo of her shoulder treatment. (Caroline Garcia: X)

Former world No.4 Caroline Garcia has exposed the truth about playing through pain after her strength was questioned as a consequence of sitting out through injury.

The 31-year-old hasn't won back-to-back matches in all of her six tournaments this year, and she recently withdrew from the Rome WTA 1000 event because of serious shoulder damage.

Shop with a 15% storewide discount code: SERVE15 - excludes clearance items, machines, court equipment and gift cards at www.tennisdirect.com.au

Having become a WTA Finals champion in 2022, it came at a cost. Garcia pushed her body to remarkable lengths, justifying her sudden decline.

The French star shared a photo of herself at the hospital being treated by a doctor for her shoulder injury, hinting at regrets.

"If you really wanted to do it, you would play through the pain. Someone said this to me a few weeks ago after I explained that I wasn't ready to play. It's not an attack on that person, but rather a reflection on a mindset you're conditioned to early on as an athlete: as if playing injured is a badge of honour or a necessity," Garcia wrote on X.

"Make no mistake—greatness requires sacrifice. Pain, discomfort, and struggle are all part of the journey to excellence. But there is a limit we must learn to recognise and respect.

"Recently, I relied almost entirely on anti-inflammatory medications to successfully manage the pain in my shoulder. Without them, it was unbearable. In recent months, I've received corticosteroid injections, plasma treatments, and other treatments just to keep me competing. I'm not sharing this to arouse pity or to prove I'm tough. It might even be the opposite.

"I'm asking myself this: Is it really reasonable to push our bodies to this extent? Is being in pain every day—as a result of years of pushing the limits—really worth celebrating? Or have we, collectively, gone too far in our relationship with sport?

"Making a living as an athlete is an incredible privilege, and I'm deeply grateful for it. But pushing your body beyond its limits just to stay in the race? Perhaps that line should never be crossed. Perhaps many of the victories that society glorifies…aren't worth that much."

Although Garcia's ranking has dropped to No.143, her name is included on the Roland-Garros main draw entry list, ranked 99th at the time of the cut-off.

Play USA Tennis Pathways supports athletes who want to go down the college pathway, assisting players to get recruited to a college that meets their academic and athletic goals. If you are a player, parent, or coach and are interested in the college pathway in the United States, contact Lachlan Puyol at playusatennispathways@gmail.com