Caroline Wozniacki, the Danish former World #1 and 2018 Australian Open champion, announced that the 2020 Australian Open in January would be her final tournament as a professional tennis player.
Caroline Wozniacki
Big announcement! pic.twitter.com/gkA0CrMzdo
— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) December 6, 2019
Early career success
This announcement brings to a close an enthralling career. A very successful junior, Wozniacki won the famous Orange Bowl in the U.S. in 2005. The Dane then made her debut on the WTA Tour at Cincinnati in that same year, at the tender age of 15.
Wozniacki’s maiden success on the WTA Tour came in 2008 at the Nordic Light Open in Stockholm. It was this 2008 season that really announced her as a major player on the world stage. She ended it with a 58-20 win record and #12 in the year-end rankings.
The Dane continued to climb the rankings, reaching the US Open final in 2009 and the season-ending WTA Championships in the same year. Her defeat to Kim Clijsters at Flushing Meadows was a setback that would take a long time to be exorcised, however.
First-ever Danish World Number 1
Wozniacki’s remarkable consistency throughout the year led to her attaining the world #1 ranking, despite not reaching great levels of success in the Grand Slam events.
In 2010 and 2011 Wozniacki won an incredible twelve WTA tournaments and reached the final stages of countless others. She reached the top of the rankings in the fall of 2010 and retained that ranking until January 2012.
Singles Career Decline
Wozniacki wasn’t able to maintain that level of performance, however. There was a second US Open final in 2014, losing to Serena Williams in straight sets, but only three wins in three years saw Wozniacki’s ranking begin to slide.
This slide turned into a tumble in 2016 as she looked as though she may depart the WTA Top 100. Injuries were becoming more damaging to her ability to win tennis matches and personal issues seemed to hit the headlines more often than her tennis.
Revival to #1 and Grand Slam Champion
Finally clear of injury and with a fresh focus, Wozniacki had a superb 2017. Reaching eight WTA finals was a great achievement, she lost the first six of these but won the WTA Finals in thrilling style. She ended the year ranked #3 in the world and this set her up beautifully for her biggest career triumph.
Having battled a view of her colored by a lack of Grand Slam triumph, she broke through that glass ceiling in spectacular style in Australia. The Dane defeated Simona Halep in an epic three-set final, breaking down in emotion at the end of the match and clearly beaming with pride when lifting the trophy aloft.
She will be greatly missed to the WTA Tour, but it is perhaps fitting that Wozniacki ends her career at the venue of her greatest triumph, in Melbourne.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
