It’s going to be hard not to get fired up as the US Open (August 29 – September 11) approaches. Caroline Garcia achieved the greatest feat of her career in Cincinnati, becoming the first player to win a WTA 1,000 from qualifying. The Frenchwoman, 35th in the world, initially gave the Czech Petra Kvitova (28th) no chance before remaining solid until the end, winning 6-2, 6-4 in 1h36.
At the age of 28, she offers herself a third coronation in a WTA 1000, just below the Grand Slams, in as many finals contested, after her triumphs in Wuhan and Beijing in 2017. In the process, she had reached the semi-finals of the Masters in Singapore, certainly at the end of the season less difficult to understand than hard preparation for the US Open. “What an amazing week. It’s hard to believe that I’m here in front of you ”lifting the trophy, reacted smiling Garcia.
The fittest player of the summer
This tenth title in total is also her third in two months, after those gleaned on the grass of Bad Homburg and the clay of Warsaw, where she had in passing the scalp of the world number 1 Iga Swiatek. Kvitova, the double winner of Wimbledon (2011, 2014), however had for her the experience of major events since she was playing her 12th final of a WTA 1,000 (8 victories), the 40th all categories combined (29 hit).
Garcia has indeed confirmed that she is the most in-form player of the summer, since she has now accumulated 26 victories since June. No one is currently doing better on the circuit. The Frenchwoman, who successively pushed aside three Top 10 players in Ohio, Maria Sakkari (3rd), Jessica Pegula (8th) and Aryna Sabalenka (7th), remained faithful to her sharp style, showing an almost permanent aggressiveness.
With this convincing performance, Garcia, who is restoring some color to French tennis, can hope to play the spoilsports at the US Open, where she has never been able to do better than a 3rd round, but which she will approach in the skin of a top seed, making a nice leap in the standings.