After retiring from tennis more than three years ago, Caroline Wozniacki made her official return to the sport earlier this month and is slated to play her first major since the 2020 Australian Open at the upcoming US Open.
The 33-year-old announced she would be making a comeback in an essay in Vogue earlier this summer. Wozniacki, who welcomed two children with husband David Lee during her time away from competition, said she began hitting again after her son was born in October 2022 and realized how much she missed the sport.
“It’s hard to say why, or what changed, but when my dad [and coach, Piotr] saw me practice that day and said, ‘It looks like you’re enjoying it more,’ that was exactly how I felt — I was relaxed and having fun, and somehow that let me see everything more clearly,” Wozniacki said.
Wozniacki has spent 71 weeks at No. 1 during her career and won 30 WTA titles, including the 2018 Australian Open. She is a two-time finalist at the US Open, most recently in 2014. In her Vogue essay, Wozniacki said she believed she was still more than capable of achieving greatness on tour.
“Can I win the US Open? I think so,” she said. “Can I win the Australian Open? I think so. That’s why I’m doing this. And I guess we’ll see what happens.”
Wozniacki has since stated she also hopes to compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and team up with fellow Danish player Holger Rune in the mixed doubles event. How has her journey back gone so far? Here’s a timeline of her return:
June 29, 2023
Wozniacki shared with the world that she would be coming back and playing the Canadian Open and the US Open. Both tournaments confirmed she received wild cards for entry as she no longer was ranked. It was later revealed she would also be playing the Western & Southern Open, also as a wild card.
Over these past three years away from the game I got to make up for lost time with my family, I became a mother and now have two beautiful children I am so grateful for. But I still have goals I want to accomplish. I want to show my kids that you can pursue your dreams no matter… pic.twitter.com/OQatFWxQGK
— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) June 29, 2023
Aug. 8, 2023
Playing to a packed crowd on Center Court in Montreal, Wozniacki officially kicked off her comeback at the Canadian Open. With giant letters spelling out “Bon retour Caro” hanging from the upper bowl, Wozniacki walked onto the court as “Sweet Caroline” blared over the…
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