Stunning. Sublime. Surreal. Words of praise roll off the tongue when we ponder Caroline Wozniacki’s return to the Grand Slam stage.
After a three-year hiatus, with her two young children with her in the Big Apple, 33-year-old Caroline Wozniacki took Week 1 of the US Open by storm, demonstrating to the world that she doesn’t just dream of being a top player once again—she already is.
“How is Caroline doing this?” gushed three-time Grand Slam champion Lindsay Davenport, who commentated Wozniacki’s three-set defeat at the hands of teen sensation Coco Gauff on Day 7. “Three and a half years away, two kids. Obviously kept herself incredibly fit—pretty impressive to be able to just hang with Gauff like this!”
Gauff, who was pleased to escape from the Dane’s clutches in a tense tug-of-war in Arthur Ashe Stadium, was amazed as well.
“She’s back and it’s like she never left—the level that she played today is really amazing,” Gauff said on court. “She’s been an inspiration for me growing up.”
And just like that, Wozniacki joins the special ranks of players that have won matches at the Open in three different decades.
After the match, the American was asked what specifically impressed her about Wozniacki’s performance at Flushing Meadows.
“She's incredibly fit,” the teen titan said. “You're thinking she's coming back, maybe she'll get tired. I didn't feel that at all.”
Wozniacki, once she had shaken off the disappointment of the loss, could definitely see the positives of what she had achieved while contesting her first Grand Slam since the 2020 Australian Open.
“I think there's a lot of things that I can take away with me from playing this Slam, and obviously I beat some great players along the way,” she said. “I wanted to see where I was tennis-wise, where I was physically and everything else.
“I think I've learned a lot from that.”
The former World No.1 can celebrate a stunning return, and look forward to layering improvements as she quests to return to the top of the women’s game.
“I think I'm exactly where I want to be,” she said. “There [are] still a few things that I want to work on and that I can do better. But in general, I think it's very positive. Every match I played here, I played a little bit better each time. A lot of positives I can bring with me.”
Sunday’s match in Ashe turned on a dime, with an opportunistic Gauff dialing in her first-strike tennis to edge Wozniacki out, but the Dane believes that she has put the wheels in motion on the road to more inspiring victories.
“I am encouraged,” she said. “I think my game is pretty good. I think that I can beat anyone on any given day.”
Wozniacki entered the draw with a group of ten mothers in the 128-player women’s singles draw in Queens. That she was the last mom standing says everything you need to know about her performance.
“I had two kids,” the two-time US Open finalist told reporters, referring to daughter Olivia, born in June 2021, and son James, born in October 2022. “I want to be a good role model for them especially, and I obviously want to be a good role model for the kids out there, but I'm also a competitor and I'm just out there to fight my hardest and play my hardest. I think I've always done that.
“I wear many hats, and I just try and do my best wherever I am.”
