Former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, who retired from tennis at the 2020 Australian Open, announced Thursday that she will make a comeback this summer during the North American hard court swing and play the U.S. Open.
In an essay published in Vogue magazine, the 32-year old Wozniacki said she did not pick up a racket for two years after her last match, a time in which she and husband David Lee, the former NBA player, traveled around the world and had two children.
But Wozniacki began practicing again last winter and decided, with encouragement from Lee, to start down the road toward a return. She wrote that she believes she can win the U.S. Open this year.
“How long will I be able to play at my highest level – a year, two years, three years?” she wrote. “I don’t know. But I know that five years from now, when the kids are in school, it will be too late. I’m not going to make any bold predictions – but if I didn’t believe in myself, I wouldn’t be doing this: I’m too competitive to just show up and not feel like I’m going to be one of the best players out there.”
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Wozniacki won 30 tournaments on the WTA Tour and finally broke through at the 2018 Australian Open for her only Grand Slam title. Shortly after that, however, Wozniacki was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and struggled to manage her pain and her energy. At the time of her retirement, Wozniacki had no intention of coming back and had been focused on starting a family. She was also doing some work as a commentator for Tennis Channel and ESPN.
But Wozniacki wrote that she believes the years away from the tour grind have put her in a better place to compete again.
“Of course, with my RA, I’ve been paying careful attention to how my body is reacting,” she said. “And, honestly? So far, so good. The long break seems to have done wonders in terms of recovery, and mentally, I’m fresh. I’m not putting as much pressure on myself, but at the same time I know when I’m out there, I’m going to be fighting.”
Wozniacki’s return will add some verve to the women’s tour, which also hopes in 2024 to welcome back former Grand Slam champions Angelique Kerber and Naomi Osaka, who both announced pregnancies within the past year.
Wozniacki hit on that theme in her essay, noting the difficult choice many women are forced to make between continuing their athletic careers and starting families as opposed to men who can continue playing without interruption.
“For the women, it’s mostly been either/or, and I’d like to be part of changing this,” Wozniacki wrote. “Victoria Azarenka, Kim Clijsters, and Serena (Williams) have already shown what it takes to have a child and return to the tour. It’s not easy by any means, but it is possible.”
