Garín On Junior Success: “It Was Too Much To Handle”

Cristian Garin of Chile plays a forehand (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

LONDON – Wishing that one of the sweetest moments of your career had never happened. Chile’s Cristian Garín sometimes thinks it would’ve been better never to win the Roland Garros junior title.

“Looking back, it all felt like madness. The pressure that was put on me for free… it was too much,” said the former world No. 17 in an interview with CLAY and RG in London.

During Wimbledon 2025, the five-time ATP title winner opened up about the expectations placed on him in his home country.

“I wish I could’ve played a bit more calmly, without so much tension,” he confessed.

In 2013, Chilean tennis had already spent a few years out of the spotlight after the retirements of Fernando González and Nicolás Massú. So Garín’s win over Alexander Zverev in the boys’ final in Paris triggered huge — and unrealistic — hopes: “It was almost a problem playing juniors, because that’s where a lot of people got to know me.”

Interview with Cristian Garín

- You made a change, and it showed. Once you started embracing the Challenger circuit, you began winning matches. You seem to be enjoying it now.

- Yes, it was hard, especially at first. I went from playing top-level tournaments for five or six years to having to drop down to the Challengers — and some of those aren’t the best events to compete in. The conditions were tough. People think Challengers are easy to win. They expect you to win everything. I went into a negative spiral, I wasn’t motivated, I didn’t feel right on court. I fell into a bad place mentally because I was confused.

– The second tier of the tour is becoming more and more competitive and demanding.

– Exactly. Challengers are super competitive, everyone plays at a high level, so you have to go in ultra humble. You’re going to fight every opponent, you might run for three hours just to earn 10 or 15 points. That made it hard for me, because getting back to where I wanted to be — where I still want to be — felt so far away. I changed my mindset, started focusing on other things, and I started playing better very quickly.

– What kind of things did you start focusing on?

– On myself. On my body. I was in pain after every match. Physically I didn’t feel fast or explosive. The years go by and you have to improve in every area, because you start to recover a bit more slowly. Reinvention is the only option. I’ve been a professional for 12 or 13 years now. At this stage, I started taking better care of myself and doing things that directly help me perform better. Sometimes you fall into a negative loop and think there’s no way out.

– What helps you perform better?

– Doing other sports, going for a jog or a walk. Clearing my mind. I also hired Guillermo, my new fitness trainer. He’s helped me a lot in shaking off bad thoughts through physical work. And I’m still with Cristián Madariaga, who’s been with me my entire career. The people around me are helping me stay focused on what I have to do.

– What do you think you need to get back to the top 20? Is that the place you’re aiming for?

– I feel like I need to keep doing what I’m doing and stick to it for a full year. To be honest, I’m not thinking about returning to the top 20 yet. Of course I want it — I’m desperate to get there — but I haven’t set it as a goal because I’ve only been working properly for two months. I’m just being real. I can’t expect to be top 20 after only two months of good work. It has to be step by step. I’m close to the top 100, I want to be playing ATP events again — I’m dying to get back to ATP tournaments and main draws of Slams. I know I can compete well there.

– Do you see the opportunity?

– Every week I see the chance to get into the tournaments I want to play. Everything is very competitive, but also wide open. Today there are 200 players who could potentially break into the top 20 or 30. It’s that tough. You have to be mentally sharp every week, take care of your body, and be ready. Tennis is open right now. That gives me hope. But I’m also aware that I’m world No. 110 right now, and that’s the reality I have to live with. It’s a lot better than it was two months ago, and I’m grateful for that — but I want to keep working like this and see where I am a year from now.

– Did you watch the 2025 Roland Garros final?

– Yes, I did.

– And what did you feel watching that level of tennis?

– It had been a long time since I got nervous watching other people play tennis, and honestly I was blown away by the level. I loved seeing how the match made headlines around the world — not just among tennis fans. The buzz around that final was incredible, and the level those two guys reached was insane.

– Do you want to play against Alcaraz and Sinner?

– Of course. But I know this is a new beginning for me. I need to be consistent for at least a year and then see what happens. I know them — Alcaraz and Sinner have been working incredibly for four or five years. Their discipline is out of this world. Even at such a young age, they inspire my whole generation. Just look at how they work, how they make decisions, how they build their teams. I pay attention to that and take a lot from both of them. They’re true sporting role models in every sense.

– A few weeks ago, you spoke on a podcast about the pressure you felt in the months and years following your junior title at Roland Garros. You were champion competing against players like Alexander Zverev, Nick Kyrgios, and Borna Coric. It’s been 12 years since that title. How do you look back on that stage now?

– People were paying close attention to you from a very young age.

– I’ve always been grateful for the support I’ve received. I love playing here in the Wimbledon qualies and having 50 people cheering for me. No matter the tournament, even the Challengers, there’s always someone supporting me. It has its positives. But back then, it was strange to feel the negativity, the harsh criticism, especially for a 17-year-old.

– Did you ever say to yourself, “I wish I had never won Roland Garros”?

– Yes, I did think that a few times.

– Tell me more.

– It’s something I thought about. I told myself that maybe playing juniors had actually been a problem, because that’s where a lot of people got to know me. I was already ranked 350 in the world at 17, I was a real prospect, I had the level. I think I finished that year around 250. I had—how do you say it?—I don’t know if it was the potential to become a superstar, but definitely to be top 20, to win titles, which is what I eventually did. My family isn’t from the sporting world, they never put pressure on me, they supported me in everything. So I didn’t really have a guide at the time, and maybe that made things harder. The junior circuit is strange, because it guarantees you nothing. And being South American makes it even tougher.

– When you look back on your career, are there mistakes you wish you hadn’t made?

– Yes, millions. I think the difference I see between players like me and those who have been more consistent with a similar level comes down to decision-making. Many of them made better choices than I did or had better people around them from an early age, and that makes a huge difference. I wish I’d had the support of someone I fully trusted, someone with experience in tennis. And in Chile or South America, that’s not easy to find. No one sacrifices themselves for you or guides you. But I learned from every mistake. Better to realise it now at 29 than at 40.

– What are you thankful to tennis for?

– I’m grateful that it taught me to reinvent myself in very difficult moments. Obviously, there have been things in my career that I’ve never talked about—and I don’t feel like talking about them now. Maybe one day. But tennis has always taught me that it’s possible to move forward, that the effort is worth it, and that bad times don’t last forever. That’s something I’ve really learned.

– Do you feel tennis owes you something?

– I don’t know. I hope it does.

– Where do you see yourself in 20 years?

– Honestly, right now I have no idea. I’m just trying to live day by day and let things happen as they will.

– What’s your relationship status? Are you single?

– Yes, I’m single.

– And are you enjoying single life?

– I’ve gone through some tough personal times recently in parallel with tennis. So I’ve been very focused on bouncing back and figuring out how to get back up. I’ve put a lot of time into that. And if you’re with someone, things have to be flowing. There have to be good things happening. In this sport, you never know how long you’ll be playing, so you have to stay focused. And I think if you’re in a relationship, you need to give and receive things that help you grow. That’s normal. Everyone’s different, and you just have to learn how to manage it—like everything in life.

– Carlos Alcaraz made headlines by talking about how important going out and partying can be. How do you feel about that? Do you need a good party every now and then to clear your head?

– Yeah, I like going out. Not all the time. I used to go out more when I was 23 or 24. I really miss my friends, so whenever I can, I try to organise a get-together. I really enjoy being with them. As athletes, we miss birthdays and so many events. And sometimes you ask yourself: is it really worth being away all the time? It’s been years on the road, travelling. So, when I get the chance to go out, I do. It helps. Obviously with some control, always remembering I’m a tennis player. But I think it’s fine if there’s balance—you have to know when to do it, and it helps to unwind. Some people don’t like it, they don’t even drink alcohol, and of course I respect that. But for me, going out, being with friends, disconnecting a bit—it helps take off some of that constant pressure. That’s how I do it, and I enjoy it.