Alize Cornet bids farewell to tennis following Roland Garros 2024 defeat to Zheng Qinwen
Alize Cornet, the 34-year-old French tennis player, concluded her illustrious career with a first-round loss to No. 7 seed Zheng Qinwen at Roland Garros.
Cornet, who received a wild-card entry into the tournament, had previously announced that this event would mark her retirement from professional tennis.
In the first round at Roland Garros on Tuesday, Alize Cornet faced No. 7 seed Zheng Qinwen and lost 6-2, 6-1. She was greeted with a standing ovation and a farewell trophy after the match.
The 34-year-old Frenchwoman Cornet entered the competition using a wild card. It was previously announced that this would be her final tournament before she retired.
Following the match at Court Philippe Chatrier, a ceremony was attended by Amélie Mauresmo, the tournament director, and Gilles Moretton, the president of the French tennis organization.
Cornet gave a moving speech in which she thanked her family and her French supporters for their unwavering support over the years.
“I had so many amazing feelings from you. Realizing that this is the last time she will experience this is difficult, she remarked.
A video homage showcasing her career, which started in 2005, was displayed on the enormous screens. Cornet went from being ranked No. 11 in 2009 to No. 106 at present, following a 1–7 season. From the 2007 Australian Open until the current French Open, she played in 69 straight Grand Slam events, setting a record for women.
Highlights of her career include her victory against world No. 1 Serena Williams in the Wimbledon third round in 2014 and her presence in a major quarterfinal at the Australian Open in 2022.
We’ll always remember you. The runner-up at the Australian Open this year, Zheng, stated, “I hope you enjoy your life after retirement.”
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Cornet stated that she made the decision to quit playing professionally last year, but she didn’t make the announcement until roughly a month ago. Being a published author, she believes that writing will be a part of her next chapter.
“I wanted to have a couple more wins under my belt before I finished,” Cornet stated. But there were a lot of highs and lows. It was definitely not easy emotionally. There were days when I was ecstatic about retiring, and there were days when I was terrified and unsure. Overall, I’m glad I made that choice since I feel at peace with it today.”
