Garcia not convinced by the new Masters 1000 format: "This format is a bit frustrating".

Caroline Garcia was soundly beaten on Sunday. Faced with Jasmine Paolini (ranked 13th in the world and title-holder in Dubai this year), the Frenchwoman was unable to get going (beaten 6-3, 6-2). Faced with an Italian who has never played as well as she did in 2024, Garcia didn't seem in a position to do anything. Largely dominated, the French No.1 simply didn't play well enough to win.

Questioned at the press conference, the disappointed world number 24 acknowledged her inferiority: "Today, I wasn't at the level to beat her. Well done to her. She's been doing it since the beginning of the year, so there aren't too many surprises."

Caro' also took the opportunity to criticize the change of calendar. Indeed, most Masters 1000 events (ATP and WTA) now take place over almost two weeks (12 days). Annoyed by this change, she declared: "We've been here a week and we've played two matches (smiles). It's slow going... These two-week tournaments aren't easy. You don't do much, you wait... This format is a bit frustrating. Some people find their way around it, but I don't. I'm curious to know what it's like for me. I'm curious to know what other players think. Otherwise, I've had some good training sessions. The conditions are always special in Madrid."