Feeling fatigued, Caroline Garcia ended the season early and headed with her fiancé to the Republic of Mauritius, an island paradise off the coast of East Africa. They went to the beach, enjoyed boating excursions, trekked, and saw dolphins and whales cavorting in the Indian Ocean.
“It was nice to take some time off, see something different, take care of myself,” Garcia said recently from her home in Spain.
While the best singles and doubles players gathered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the WTA Finals presented by PIF last week, Garcia — winner of the year-end championship two years ago in Fort Worth — will get back to the grind. She’ll hit the gym for strength and conditioning — and, surprisingly, the books, too.
That’s right, for the first time since she was home-schooled in her teens, the 31-year-old Garcia is a student again. Like that time at the beach, she’s seeing different things and taking care of herself — and, most importantly, her future.
I made it to Harvard Business School 🎓
So grateful for this opportunity to join such a special university!
I can’t wait to keep learning new things and meet amazing people from different fields.
Thank you WTA and Anita Elberse for this opportunity.
No better way to use my… pic.twitter.com/EiAt49BXPz
— Caroline Garcia (@CaroGarcia) October 2, 2024
She’s one of five Hologic WTA Tour players enrolled in the Harvard Business School’s 2024-25 Crossover Intro Business program. Garcia, winner of 11 singles titles, is joined by Aldila Sutjiadi, Angelina Gabueva, Fernanda Cotreras and Katarzyna Piter.
Earlier this year, Garcia received an email from the WTA outlining the offering, but it wasn’t until her future husband, Borja Durán, coincidentally mentioned it that she gave it some serious thought.
“They are doing a crossover with famous athletes,” Durán told Garcia. “I really think you should consider it.”
Durán, an associate professor at the University of Barcelona with specialties in e-commerce and marketing, is something of an entrepreneur himself. He and Garcia launched a podcast this year, “Tennis Insider Club,” which features their exclusive interviews with people involved in the sport. As a result, Garcia has become more involved and interested in the business side.
“I always believed I was too busy with tennis to go to university,” Garcia said. “I’m discovering a new environment, seeing different perspectives. Obviously, when you…