This Time, Alizé Cornet is Retired for Good

Alizé Cornet is retiring (again) and this time, the Frenchwoman says, it’s for good. 

She took to Instagram last week to say that her short, sweet comeback has come to an end. 

Cornet, who was feted in a retirement ceremony at Roland-Garros in 2024, returned to play ten professional matches this year. She nearly qualified at Wimbledon but lost in her third match at Roehampton. She finished her career with a straight sets loss to Tamara Korpatch at the 125 event in beautiful San Sebastian, Spain. 

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A post shared by Alizé Cornet (@alizecornet)

“A beautiful place to definitely turn the page and start writing new ones, in every sense of the word,” Cornet wrote on Instagram. 

“Reflecting on my time in San Sebastian and the end (for real this time 😜) of a chapter as a player. Couldn’t dream of a better place than this beautiful city to definitely turn the page and start writing others, in every sense of the word.”

The 35-year-old former world No.11 sounds like she’s ready to return to her writer’s desk. She has already published a work of tennis-related nonfiction (Sans Comprimis and two novels (La Valse des Jours and Ce qui manque à l’amour). 

During her career Cornet was a picture of resilience. In 2022 she reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final at the Australian Open, shattering the record for most main draw appearances at the majors before reaching a quarter-final for the first time (63). 

But it is her record of 69 consecutive Grand Slam main draws played that truly characterized Cornet’s grit. The consistency and professionalism required to maintain such a streak for what has amounted to half of her life stands as the longest streak of consecutive Grand Slams played by a woman.