Trailer coupling having a tension anchor

The disclosure relates to a trailer coupling for a motor vehicle, comprising a carrier assembly having a transverse carrier for arranging on the rear of a motor vehicle and a retainer retained on the transverse carrier for retaining a coupling element of the trailer coupling, wherein the coupling element is provided for fastening a trailer, wherein the retainer is connected to the transverse carrier by a tension anchor of a tension anchor assembly wherein the tension anchor penetrates the transverse carrier along the tension anchor load axis of the tension anchor and loads an abutment surface of the retainer, through which abutment surface the tension anchor load axis or an axis parallel thereto passes, against the transverse carrier. Further, the retainer has at least one side support surface, which projects in front of the abutment surface adjacent to the tension anchor and lies against the transverse carrier such that the retainer is supported on the transverse carrier laterally adjacent to the tension carrier with respect to a force acting transversely to the tension anchor load axis of the tension anchor.