‘I'll always love the game’ - Caroline Wozniacki relishing unplanned Grand Slam return after ‘needed break’
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Published 28/08/2023 at 10:04 GMT
Former world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki had no plans to return to tennis after she said goodbye to the game in January 2020 to start a family. But after giving birth to her second child in October, the Dane had the urge to return to the professional circuit and now she can’t wait to get going at the US Open, her first Grand Slam appearance in more than three years. “You only live once, so why not?”
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Caroline Wozniacki will return to Grand Slam action on day one of the US Open, more than three years since she waved goodbye to the game at the Australian Open in January 2020.
The 33-year-old former world No.1 did not intend to return to the professional game after she left to start a family, but after giving birth to two children, she’s ready to pick up the racquet at the top level again.
“I didn't play for a very long time. I didn't miss it,” she admitted, reflecting on her departure from the game. “I played since I was very, very young. It's been part of my life and my lifestyle for so long.
“I needed a break. I started just missing the cardio aspect. I'll always love the game, no matter if I'm 33 or if I'm going to be 80. I hope I'm always going to be fit enough that if I want to go out there and hit some balls, play some doubles or whatever, that would be a possibility with my friends.
“It just happened to be that I felt like I was hitting the ball extremely well, and that I still am young enough to give it another shot. You only live once, so why not?”
The Dane, who won the Australian Open in 2018 and spent 71 weeks as the world’s top-ranked player, will mark her return to Grand Slam tennis with a match against Russian Tatiana Prozorova on Monday.
She has already tasted action in Montreal and Cincinnati as she got back into the swing of things with the US Open on her radar, where she is a two-time finalist, but has never won.
“When you look at yourself and you feel like you still have a chance to do something really cool and really good, then you have got to take the chance,” she said.
“You never know if you don't try it.”
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18 months before she quit tennis, Wozniacki was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and was determined to "achieve other things in life" away from tennis.
One of those was to enrol in Harvard Business School, which she did, as well as explore the world.
A year after retirement and the task of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro ticked off her list, Wozniacki announced she and her husband - former NBA basketball player David Lee - were expecting their first child.
She gave birth to her daughter Olivia in June 2021 and fell pregnant again, giving birth to son James in October.
And now she’s ready to give tennis another shot and is raring to get going at the US Open alongside fellow mothers Elina Svitolina, Victoria Azarenka and Amandine Hesse.
“I'm proud that there are quite a few mums on tour that have paved the way for the future generation,” she said. “It's possible to take a break, have a family, and then come back.
“The women have showed that you can still play at a very, very high level. I realise that I'm not that young any more. But you have older players. I'm enjoying being here in the moment.
“I didn't think three years ago that I was going to be here, so this is awesome.”
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