This Paris Olympic Games will be Caroline Wozniacki’s fourth shot at glory. The Dane will be looking to go deep into the tournament as per her competitive instinct but the question becomes: how far can she go? As with any tournament, the draw will be vital; however, she doesn’t have many positive experiences at the games to fall back on.
Despite being a former World #1 and Grand Slam champion, Wozniacki has never had a positive run at the Olympics. In three appearances she has reached the quarterfinals once, exiting in Round 3 and Round 2 the other two attempts, respectively.
Caroline Wozniacki at the Olympics
2008 Beijing
In 2008 she arrived in Beijing aged eighteen full of confidence. In that season she had reached the third round or better in the opening three Grand Slams. She impressed in the early rounds, winning against Selima Sfar and tenth seed Daniela Hantuchova in straight sets. Even at this early stage in her career, she was showing great promise. She would bow out with her head held high to fifth seed Elena Dementieva 7-6 6-2.
2012 London
At London 2012 she came in in poorer form. Despite an incredible couple of seasons before which saw her reach World #1, her results were declining in the all-important Olympic year. Losing in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, she handed over the top spot to Viktoria Azarenka. Early exits at Roland Garros and Wimbledon meant that her confidence was at a serious low. Having said that, she fought through to the quarterfinals. It took two three-set clashes to advance to the third round before beating Hantuchova of Slovakia 6-4 6-2 to set up a battle with Serena Williams. The American bulldozed her way past a fragile Wozniacki 6-0 6-3 in a barely competitive encounter. Williams, though, would win Gold, losing just 17 games in six rounds. Truly remarkable.
2016 Rio
Wozniacki started the 2016 season poorly. An opening round loss to Yulia Putintseva in the Australian Open and an ankle injury in the clay season meant that the preparation was far from ideal. To add to the misery, she lost in the opening round at Wimbledon. At Rio there was a brief sign that things may be getting back on track after easily beating Lucie Hradecka 6-2 6-2; however, she then fell 6-2 6-4 to the in-form Petra Kvitova, who would go on to lift a Bronze Medal.
The Current comeback
So where do we sit now? Since returning to the Tour last season, it has been an up and down story for the Dane. Her first Major back at the US Open saw her take eventual champion Coco Gauff to three sets. She was able to match Gauff’s counter-punching game for long spells and reveal that there was plenty more left in the tank to give. Whether that was a false dawn only time will tell but since then, it’s been a more rocky road. At Indian wells she managed to reach the last 16 before having to retire to Iga Swiatek but it was Roland Garros this season where she found herself caught in some controversy.
As a matter of principle, she chose not to try and qualify after being denied a wild card while her father and coach claimed she felt “disrespected.” It didn’t make her overly popular in the tennis world. At Wimbledon she was dismantled by an imperious Elena Rybakina 6-0 6-1. No doubt that would have stung. It showed how far she still is from reaching the top level, and cast doubts on whether such a task is possible.
Counter-punching gamestyle
Although clay hasn’t been her best surface, there are certain elements of her game that should suit this Olympics. Wozniacki is such a solid counter puncher who can redirect pace with ease. The backhand wing especially can be so effective when she gets low and plays with incredible amounts of depth. This style paired with an often weaker but loopy forehand can often frustrate players. A defensive and physical way of playing can be much tougher as an athlete gets older though and typically finding a way to shorten points is the way to go. We’ve seen this with Djokovic over the years who has dramatically improved his serving which allows him to conserve energy. It’s not Wozniacki’s DNA though, she is a grafter, and perhaps that stubbornness will hold her back from a return to the elite.
The sad truth is that it’ll likely be another early exit for Caroline Wozniacki. At this stage in her career,dz she seems to have lost the magic which propelled her to the summit.
Main Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
