"Like to be remembered as genuine player": Alize Cornet embraces retirement after French Open 2024 exit

Cornet was no match for Zheng Qinwen on Court Philippe Chatrier in the first round as the 21-year-old registered a 6-2, 6-1 victory in one hour and 23 minutes.

After the match, there was a ceremony to honour the woman who holds the record for the most consecutive Grand Slam appearances with 69.

Feeling deeply affected upon her return to the Central (which was cloudy owing to the rain), Alize Cornet fought her final match and won her 20th Roland-Garros in front of cheering spectators throughout the entire match. When faced with her opponent's strength and pressure, the Nicoise did what she does best--fight. She managed to achieve a double break, soon pulling away from the score. She was able to bounce back from a 4-0 deficit to a 4-2 one thanks to her excellent defence.

Afterwards, reflecting on her legacy in the sport and her popularity with both fans and fellow players, Cornet said she wanted to be "remembered as a genuine player."

"I'd like to be remembered as a genuine player who shared all her emotions with everyone all throughout her career with a fighting spirit. Someone who is a passionate tennis player, who likes to fight and who could die for it. I think I showed it several times, that it was actually my type of character. People may love me or not for that type of personality, actually, but this is what brought me here," Cornet said as quoted by WTA.

Before the first point was played, Cornet's final dance was met with cheers from the Philippe-Chatrier stands, but Zheng was the one setting the pace for the whole game. The 21-year-old effectively used her natural strength to hold Cornet at bay, tallying 25 victories to only 19 unintentional mistakes.

In the opening set, the Frenchwoman gave locals a small boost of confidence when she rallied from a 4-0 deficit to a 4-2. She also demonstrated her variety of defensive spins and angles by drawing Zheng into some superb exchanges.

"I was selected to take the balls during this tournament, and Amelie was playing there. There was Venus Williams, Patty Schnyder, Justine Henin. It was wonderful. It was a first experience where I was close to the players," she added.

"And when I think about it, when I think back now, Amelie Mauresmo is handing me the end-of-career trophy, and she's been there all the time. I think about all the journey behind me. Often we just don't go back in time. We don't think about what's happened. I will have time to do so in the weeks to come, and some nostalgia comes in as well," the Frenchwoman said.

In the decisive game, cheers and shouts to the tune of Seven Nation Army erupted once more as Cornet valiantly repelled the first three match points she encountered. The 34-year-old Zheng eventually put an end to Cornet's relentless play, and it required a brilliant angled forehand volley from him to cut off Cornet's attempted pass.

That marked the conclusion of Cornet's career, which culminated in a momentous occasion marking her 69th consecutive Grand Slam main draw appearance. At Roland Garros in 2005, Cornet began her career on the Hologic WTA Tour as a 15-year-old wild card. She advanced to the second round but was defeated by Amelie Mauresmo, the No. 3 seed, in that match. (ANI)