The former world No. 4 has spoken out after withdrawing from the Italian Open.

Caroline Garcia has shone a light on her injury hell. (Image: Getty.)

French tennis star Caroline Garcia has issued an emotional statement detailing her injury torment, having recently pulled out of the Italian Open. The 31-year-old has endured a difficult season so far and lost in the first round of the last two Grand Slams, but she has been plagued by injury.

Garcia claimed the WTA Finals title in 2022, the biggest win of her career, but she has suggested that she has pushed her body to its physical limit. And after struggling to replicate those efforts, she candidly opened up about playing through immense pain. She revealed that she has been relying on anti-inflammatory medications, corticosteroid injections and plasma treatments just to step foot on the court.

“Recently, I relied almost entirely on anti-inflammatory medications to successfully manage the pain in my shoulder,” Garcia wrote on Instagram. “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 for sympathy or to highlight toughness. Maybe the opposite. I’m questioning: Is it truly worth pushing our bodies to such extremes? Is enduring chronic pain in your forties – an outcome of years spent pushing athletic limits – something to be celebrated, or have we collectively taken sports too far?

“Making a living as an athlete is an incredible privilege, one I’m deeply grateful for. But relentlessly exceeding the body’s limits just to stay competitive? Perhaps that’s a boundary we shouldn’t cross. Maybe many of the victories glorified by society aren’t worth winning after all.”

Caroline Garcia in action in Miami. (Image: Getty)

After a recent comment to her said, “If you really wanted to do it, you would play through the pain,” she was struck by the accusation and felt the need to pen her thoughts.

“Someone said this to me a few weeks ago after I explained I wasn’t ready to compete. This isn’t an attack on any individual, but rather a reflection on a mindset athletes are conditioned into from a young age: playing injured is somehow honourable or necessary.

“Don’t get me wrong – greatness demands sacrifice. Pain, discomfort, and struggle are inevitable part of pursuing excellence. But there’s a line we need to recognise and respect.”

Perhaps Garcia’s honest admission, met by an overwhelmingly positive response from fellow WTA stars and her fans, will lead to more discussion on player safety and welfare when it comes to pain and injury.

High-profile players such as Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek have criticised the current calendar, claiming that professionals are being asked to play far too often, and Garcia’s comments will only resonate with those she shares the tour with.