Aussie Open an emotional farewell for Caroline Wozniacki
MELBOURNE, Australia — Appearances can be deceptive.
Few people who watched Caroline Wozniacki‘s first-round win at the Australian Open on Monday would have spotted anything unusual as she went about her business the way she has always done: with 100 percent commitment, total dedication and utter professionalism.
Yet this is to be Wozniacki’s last tournament. At 29 — after a career in which she topped the world rankings three times and won one Grand Slam title and 29 other events all over the world — this is it.
Wozniacki has enjoyed a hugely successful career, but her achievements go beyond the results. Respected and admired by her peers and loved by fans all over the globe, she maximized her potential and will be missed.
“She has a great legacy, Grand Slam champion, No. 1 in the world, one of the best players on tour — definitely not easy to do,” said Serena Williams, a close friend of Wozniacki’s and one of many rivals to pay tribute to her achievements this week. “Also, [she is] a person that’s really great off the court. So it’s going to be a great loss for women’s tennis, especially for me.”
There was a time when a Wozniacki news conference without a question about her lack of Grand Slam success was the exception rather than the norm. Her Australian Open victory over Simona Halep in 2018, one of the best finals in recent memory, swept away any last doubts. But as she considered her career this week, Wozniacki said that winning a Grand Slam title was really the icing on the cake.
“It was definitely very, very special because I got to No. 1 very early in my career, and [though] I think I appreciated it and it was a dream come true, I didn’t appreciate it as much as the second time round [when she returned in 2018],” Wozniacki told ESPN.com in an interview.
“Do I think in other circumstances I could have won more? Probably, but at the end of the day, I think being No. 1 for such a long period of time [71 weeks] is probably much harder than winning one tournament, where you have a great couple of weeks. But having the combination of the two is something very few people have done, so that’s obviously something I’m very proud of.”
What she’s equally proud of is the way she went about things. It’s hard to think of a match in which Wozniacki didn’t give her all. She always was in shape, trained hard, worked hard and never arrived at a tournament underdone. Few people can say that.
“What I’m most proud of is the fact that I never slacked,” she said. “I would go into every single practice, I’d take it very seriously, I would work super hard. I would go into every tournament, try and do my best and try to win.
“I think I can be very proud of the fact that I’m looking back at my career and is there some things — I’d wish I’d had a gold medal at the Olympics, 100 percent — but … I literally gave everything I had, and I’m very proud of that.”
It has been 18 months since Wozniacki was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that causes joint pain throughout the body. It was a diagnosis that shocked her, but she is determined to show that it’s still possible to have a normal, active life.
“I want to be a role model. That’s something I’m very passionate about — also showing the way to other people who are struggling with RA, that you can do anything you put your mind to,” she said.
“For me to be able to have a full schedule, for me to be out there, every single day, working hard, working hours and hours on and off the court, that that’s possible with RA. That’s something that mentally I’ve had to, some days, push myself through.
“But at the same time, when I hear people and their stories, having issues getting out of bed, seeing me do what I do is motivating them and making them feel better. Having that community has been very special to me, and it’s something I want to continue doing. I hope I can inspire and help a lot of people.”
She also isn’t finished on the court just yet. Her first-round win over American Kristie Ahn set up a second-round battle with Dayana Yastremska, who is seeded No. 23. Should Wozniacki win that, Williams could be waiting for her in Round 3.
Wozniacki has found the week more emotional than she expected, partly because of the sheer number of people wishing her well, congratulating her on her career and telling her they’ll miss her.
“I think the special moments are where players who you don’t really think you’ve had that much of an impact on, come up and they [say], we really want to appreciate how nice you’ve been to us from the start,” she said. “So that’s been great to see as well. It makes me feel good that I’ve had a positive impact.”
Wozniacki still wants to give everything, one last time.
“I know it’s the last one, but at the same time, I’m trying to compartmentalize,” she said. “This is why I am here. I want to try to win the tournament. I want to try. I think that’s the best way to handle stuff.”
When she came on the scene in 2005, “Danish tennis” was almost an oxymoron. Wozniacki leaves it in good health, with the junior world No. 1 male and last year’s junior world No. 1 female hailing from Denmark and with proof that you can make it if you try your best.
“I hope I’ve proven and shown for the younger generation that it’s possible to be from Denmark and be a great tennis player,” Wozniacki said.
“I would like to be remembered as a really hard-working tennis player who gave it my all, left my heart out there and hopefully a good person to be around, too. I think and I hope that people will have fond memories of me.”
At 29, she leaves the sport young. Wozniacki said she and her husband, former NBA player David Lee, are looking forward to some time away from the spotlight. She also said she has “always wanted to be a mom.”
Don’t hold your breath if you think she might be back on the court in the future.
“Well, I don’t want to be here in 10 years’ time, making a comeback, and then I’d hear all about it [saying she would never be back],” she said. “But I don’t think so.”