Wozniacki delivers a message to doubters
Grand Slam success provides credibility for new world No.1
Of all the immense Australian Open spoils, two stood out for Caroline Wozniacki and neither had anything to do with money or fame.
After 42 failed attempts and years of being smeared as a ‘journeyman player’, the amiable Dane finally discovered credibility. And immunity.
Credibility as the sport’s newest grand slam champion after a 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 6-4 win over gallant Romanian Simona Halep, and immunity from backhanded barbs over reaching world No.1 without winning a major.
At 27, and with many speculating the baseliner’s best was behind her, Wozniacki returns to world No.1 today after a record six-year absence.
She returns to the throne, having obliterated doubts and doubters.
As polite as she is, the right-hander has had the last word.
“That’s one of the most positive things about all of this,” she said. “I’m never going to get that question, ‘when are you going to win a slam?’ ever again.
“Now I’m just waiting for the question, ‘when are you going to win the second one?’
“I’m just proud I will never hear, ‘You were No.1 but never won a grand slam’ again.
“All I could tell myself was, ‘you know what, you’ve given it everything you have. If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen’.
“I think you always, at certain points, especially when you start having injuries and stuff, you start maybe doubting if you’re ever going to be 100 percent healthy for longer periods of time.
“But I think for a year and a half, I’ve proved that I can beat anyone out there on court. But when you’re in the finals, I’m not going to lie, I was really nervous before going out there.”
Beaten in US Opens by Kim Clijsters and Serena Williams, Wozniacki was last year smeared by Maria Sharapova’s agent Max Eisenbud.
Irritated by Wozniacki’s comments about Sharapova’s return from a doping ban, Eisenbud labelled her a ‘journeyman player’, suggesting Sharapova’s absence from the French Open represented her “last chance to win a slam”.
Almost to a person, including Halep’s coach Darren Cahill, who hugged the Dane post-match, nobody begrudged Wozniacki the uplifting drought-breaker.
Like Halep, she has been through emotional and physical mills, having slipped to No.74 in 2017 because of injury.
“I think just I’d been through a lot of injuries at that point. Then you start losing to some players who you’re not really thinking you should lose to. It’s frustrating,” Wozniacki said.
“I’ve proved that I can beat anyone.”
Halep will this week undergo MRI on her left ankle and both feet.
“I cried, but now I’m smiling. It is just a tennis match in the end,” she said.