Caroline Wozniacki has spent a total of 71 weeks as the number one-ranked player in women’s tennis. She knows what is required to sit at the very top of that game.
Success for her, however, has never been judged solely on sporting results. While triumphs on the court are nice, there is a whole life to be lived off it.
Wozniacki has chosen to blur those lines a little of late, with the decision taken to step out of retirement and return to the WTA Tour in June 2023.
Goal
Tennis, it would appear, is like riding a bike – something you never forget how to do. In her first major outing since picking up a racket again, Wozniacki looked as though she had never been away.
The odds to win US Open tennis were never weighted in her favor, with the likes of +200 shot Aryna Sabalenka topping the charts there. The ultimate goal, though, was just to be competitive.
Wozniacki was that and more at Flushing Meadows, with a memorable run enjoyed through to the fourth round. As someone with two final appearances in New York under her belt, such heroics should have come as no surprise.
The challenge now is to build on a positive restart to a distinguished career and enjoy a rapid rise back up the world rankings.
Wozniacki is ready to face that task head-on, saying of her performances in the United States: “There’s a lot of positives to take with me going forward. I’m on the right track. I’m finding my form, I’m finding my feet. I’m excited to take on more events and more players.”
Game time is what the Danish star needs most, with there still a little rust to be shaken. While her sporting brain is ticking over nicely, the body requires time in which to readjust to the demands of chasing down balls and firing in aces.
Wozniacki is now a mother of two and had been out of the Grand Slam game for over three years – dating back to the 2020 Australian Open – before lacing up her trainers again and heading out in front of packed crowds in the Big Apple.
She has always been an inspiration to many but is pushing that envelope a little further as she proves that anything is possible with the right blend of attitude and application. Who knows what could be achieved from this point?
Honors
Tennis mums have prevailed in the past – with Margaret Court and Evonne Goolagong landing major honors before Kim Clijsters did likewise at the 2009 US Open.
Wozniacki has climbed that mountain before, as she landed the top prize at the Australian Open back in 2018 – having captured the WTA Tour finals crown a few months prior to that. It was at that time that she sat at the very top of the global game.
A backward step of sorts has been taken since then, but Wozniacki is very much on the front foot now. She is doing it for the mums and still possesses all of the attributes required to compete with the best in the business for future Grand Slam titles.