Former world number one Wozniacki announces comeback

AFP

Caroline Wozniacki is set to make a comeback to tennis after the former world number one said that she was ready to return to the Tour having retired from the sport in 2020 to start a family.

Danish player Wozniacki spent 71 weeks at the top of the world rankings and finished with 30 singles titles - including a Grand Slam crown at the Australian Open in 2018.

She announced her retirement prior to the 2020 Australian Open at the age of 29, saying she wanted to start a family with her husband, former NBA player David Lee. She has since had a daughter Olivia and son James.

"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," she wrote on Twitter.

"But I still have goals I want to accomplish. I want to show my kids that you can pursue your dreams no matter your age or role.

"We decided as a family it's time. I'm coming back to play and I can't wait!"

Wozniacki said she would first play at the Canadian Open in Montreal in August "to get back into the groove" before targeting the US Open while her long-term goal is the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

"So I'm going to play the US Open. There's just an electric atmosphere in New York that I can't get enough of, and I've played so well there for years and years," she wrote in a Vogue magazine article.

The United States Tennis Association later announced that Wozniacki, a two-time finalist at Flushing Meadows, had been awarded a wildcard for the Grand Slam that begins on Aug. 28.

"After that, I'll have a couple of months to prepare for Australia and we'll take it from there. The Paris Olympics are definitely a goal too," Wozniacki added.

The Dane, who turns 33 next month, said she was inspired by 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams after the American returned to the sport following the birth of her daughter Olympia.

"I think that Serena doesn't get nearly enough credit for getting to so many Grand Slam finals after having Olympia," she said.

"Her retirement will always be bittersweet, both for me and for so many other players, because she's meant so much to women's tennis. She paved the way for so many of us, she showed us that anything is possible."

More from Sports

  • Zimbabwe stun Australia to stay unbeaten in T20 World Cup

    Australia were dealt an early blow in their quest to reach the Super Eight stage of the Twenty20 World Cup after the depleted former champions crashed to a 23-run defeat by Zimbabwe in Colombo on Friday.

  • Arsenal miss chance to go six points clear with draw at Brentford

    Arsenal has wasted the chance to restore their six-point lead at the top of the Premier League table as they were held to a 1-1 draw at Brentford on Thursday, with Noni Madueke's second-half header cancelled out by Keane Lewis-Potter.

  • India thump Namibia ahead of Pakistan clash

    Defending champions India continued their march towards the Super Eight stage of the Twenty20 World Cup with a 93-run win over Namibia in a group A contest at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Thursday.

  • Italy crush Nepal in maiden T20 World Cup victory

    Brothers Justin and Anthony Mosca guided Twenty20 World Cup debutants Italy to their first win in the tournament, as their unbeaten half-centuries secured a dominant 10-wicket victory over Nepal in a Group C clash on Thursday.

  • Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships reveals major expansion plan

    The 2026 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships will usher in the start of a new era for one of the Middle East’s most iconic sporting events with plans revealed for an extensive two-phase redevelopment that will transform the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium and surrounding Aviation Club Tennis Complex.

News