France’s Alize Cornet has bid farewell to tennis after her first-round exit at the French Open. Cornet, 34, holds the record for 69 consecutive Grand Slam appearances.
Cornet, who received a wild card entry into the tournament, had already announced that this would be her final competition. Her career came to a close with a disappointing loss in the first round.
In her opening match, Cornet faced Zheng Qinwen, the seventh seed. Zheng defeated Cornet 6-2, 6-1, ending Cornet’s run in the tournament. After the match, an on-court ceremony was held, attended by French Tennis Federation President Gilles Moreton and Tournament Director Amelie Mauresmo.
During the ceremony, Cornet expressed her gratitude to her family and French fans. “You fill me with incredible emotion,” Cornet said. “It’s hard to believe this is the last time I’ll feel this way.”
Cornet’s record of 69 consecutive Grand Slam appearances began at the Australian Open in 2007 and continued unbroken until this year’s French Open. Despite her remarkable consistency, she could never advance beyond the quarterfinals in any Grand Slam event.
