Caroline Garcia has spoken bullishly about her chances of winning a Grand Slam in 2023 after her excellent end to the 2022 season.
Garcia is now 29 years old, but she found something special in the second half of 2022 after a challenging previous two years, playing the best tennis of her already lengthy career.
Garcia built momentum in August's North American hardcourt swing by winning two titles. The first came on grass at the Bad Homburg Open, beating Bianca Andreescu in a tight final, while the second came on clay at the Poland Open in Warsaw.
The Frenchwoman managed a stunning victory against Iga Swiatek at her home tournament during that run to glory in Warsaw, a rare disappointing moment in the world No. 1's outstanding season.
Garcia then won her third WTA 1000 title at the Cincinnati Open. That was followed a few weeks later with a maiden Grand Slam semifinal at the US Open. Ons Jabeur proved to be too strong at that stage.
Those achievements meant Garcia qualified for the WTA Finals. However, her chances looked to have been dented when her coach, Bertrand Perret, left a few days later before the prestigious event began.
That made Garcia's subsequent run to the WTA Finals title even more remarkable. She sealed the most significant title of her career by beating Aryna Sabalenka in the final in a match that only contained one break point.
Garcia's confidence has skyrocketed after her achievements in 2022. The Frenchwoman told Eurosport that she is at the peak of her powers and has the level needed to win a Grand Slam.
“I am at the top of my abilities. With the semi-final at the US Open and this title at the Masters, the dream of winning a Grand Slam becomes more palpable, more concrete, even if the road is still long."
"I still have seven matches to win to get a Grand Slam. I don’t have anything less than before the Masters. I think all this gives me confidence that it’s achievable. It shows that I’m capable of winning a Grand Slam. It’s going to be a ‘challenging’ two weeks in a lot of areas, but I have the style and level of play."