Wozniacki waves tearful goodbye
MELBOURNE: Former world No 1 Caroline Wozniacki made a tearful exit from tennis on Friday after defeat at the Australian Open brought the curtain down on her glittering career. Wozniacki, who announced in December that this would be her final tournament, lost 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 to lower-ranked Ons Jabeur of Tunisia. The 29-year-old Wozniacki closes a career that saw her win 30 WTA titles, with her sole Grand Slam triumph coming in 2018 at Melbourne Park.
She was in tears when the end came at the hands of 78th-ranked Jabeur and just under two hours later her eyes were red and puffy as she arrived at her post-match press conference.
“I was told there are tissues here. I see the tissues in case I need them, I think I’m cried out,” said Wozniacki, who was given a round of applause by reporters.
She was also given a generous reception by Melbourne Arena crowd after hitting her last shot in tennis— “I finished my career with a forehand error. Those are the things I’ve been working on my whole career,” she joked to the crowd.
Choking back tears, Wozniacki, now ranked 36, added: “Guess this is just how it was meant to be.” Wozniacki, who made her professional debut in 2005, was carried triumphantly across court by her Polish-born father—who is also her coach—
Piotr. She also hugged husband David Lee, the former NBA star, as Neil Diamond’s hit song “Sweet Caroline” reverberated around court.
Wozniacki finished 2010 and 2011 as world No 1, and ascended to the top ranking again in 2018, the year she won the Australian Open. But later that year she revealed that she was suffering with rheumatoid arthritis, which causes fatigue and joint pain.
She insists that has nothing to do with her decision to leave tennis and says she hopes to start a family. Defeat for Wozniacki, minutes before Serena Williams’s shock loss to Wang Qiang, deprived the close friends of an emotional meeting in the fourth round. Williams also cried when asked about Wozniacki’s retirement. “She came into the locker room afterwards, we were both kind of bummed about our matches,” said the American, 38.
BARTY WINS
World No 1 and home favourite Ashleigh Barty said she played her best match this year in blowing away 29th seed Elena Rybakina 6-3, 6-2 to barrel into the fourth round on Friday.
Barty plays American 18th seed Alison Riske or Julia Goerges—her doubles partner—next in Melbourne as she bids to become the first Australian to win the women’s title since 1978.
Barty needed just 78 minutes to dispose of the young Kazakh and said: “I felt I needed to be really switched on for this.”