Alize Cornet ends tennis career with emotional first-round loss at French Open

Roland Garros had to wave a third emotional farewell in three days after Alize Cornet lost her first-round match at the French Open.

Sales of tissues must have rocketed in Paris following the departure of former finalist Andy Murray on Sunday, and then 14-time champion Rafael Nadal’s tear-jerking goodbye 24 hours later.

Popular Frenchwoman Cornet announced last month that she would be retiring after this year’s home tournament.

The 34-year-old former world number 11, who twice made the fourth round, was granted a wild card and a spot on Court Philippe Chatrier for what she described as “the last dance”.

She bowed out of her 20th Roland Garros, and her 72nd appearance at a grand slam, with a 6-2 6-1 loss to seventh seed Qinwen Zheng of China.