Even if Alizé Cornet touched on the cold realities of tennis circuit life as she bid good-bye to all that on Court Philippe Chatrier on Tuesday afternoon, there was a heart-warming symmetry to the Frenchwoman's adieux.
In 2005, as a 15-year-old, the French tennis federation, which organises the French Open in Paris offered her a wildcard – tennis speak for an invitation into the main draw of the singles. It was her first Grand Slam tournament.
