Caroline Garcia Is The Surprise WTA Finals Winner
Locker Room
November 8, 2022
Caroline Garcia has a habit of upsetting the odds and ripping up the script.
Remember Wimbledon a few months ago? Emma Raducanu was the US Open champion who desperately wanted to shine at her home Grand Slam.
Garcia came onto Centre Court without any pressure and played a beautiful, free-flowing match to win in straight sets, despite Raducanu’s battling resistance.
Caroline Garcia could take centre stage at Wimbledon 2023 as well.
After all, her extraordinary win in Fort Worth, Texas will fill her with a new sense of confidence and take her up to number four in the world.
The WTA Finals are a big deal. Yet it was her opponent Aryna Sabalenka who seemed to have all the momentum and media attention after beating world number one Iga Swiatek.
When Sabalenka walked into the coffee shop where Garcia was quietly consulting her team ten hours before the showpiece, she was accompanied by a Netflix film crew.
Seems like someone backed the wrong horse, so to speak. Whatever Garcia’s team were telling her appeared to work, too.
Above all, it was Caroline’s serve that worked – and Sabalenka’s didn’t.
Garcia hit ten aces in the first set alone to remind us why she led the WTA tour’s ace-count all year.
In stark contrast, a nervy Sabalenka hit two double faults in the all-important first-set tie-break – and it cost her dearly.
It was Caroline Carcia who picked up the $1.57 million winner’s cheque, as well as a very useful 1,375 in rankings points.
Her 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 victory was also a fitting reward for her riskier game.
Caroline Garcia isn’t afraid to rush the net and that makes her an exciting contender at Wimbledon 2023.
There is no reason why Raducanu’s conqueror shouldn’t make an even bigger impression at the All England Club this time around.
For now, she is simply taking in the enormity of her unexpected WTA Finals triumph,
Donning a cowboy hat as a nod to her host state, new superstar Garcia reflected on her feelings: ‘It’s definitely a lot of giant happiness. A crazy final, a lot of intensity on every point. Just really proud of the work we did all through the year.
‘I really went for it and I’m really happy to win my biggest title!’
Will you be at Wimbledon 2023 to see Caroline Garcia and the other top women go for the biggest title of them all?
We can place you in some of the best seats in the house on the historic Centre Court any time you like.