She ruled the Tennis world and fans crushed on her. Caroline Wozniacki won her first Grand Slam champion title in Australian Open in January last year. However, this year, the former world No. 1 bid an emotional farewell to the tennis world following a third-round Australian Open loss to Tunisian trailblazer Ons Jabeur. The unseeded 29-year-old Wozniacki was a champion at Melbourne Park two years ago, couldn't hold back tears as she said bye to her lifelong coach and father Piotr. "I usually don't cry, so sorry, but these are the special memories that I will always cherish," said the former world number one, ABC reported.
"It's been a great ride. I'm ready for the next chapter. I'm really excited about what's next to come."
The Danish tennis player, who announced in December that this would her final tournament, lost 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 to lower-ranked Ons Jabeur of Tunisia. “I was told there are tissues here. I see the tissues in case I need them, I think I’m cried out,” said Wozniacki jokingly.
Key Takeaways:
- The unseeded 29-year-old Caroline Wozniacki went down in a third-round defeat at the Australian Open on Friday.
- The former world No. 1, who announced in December that this would be her final tournament.
- Following the loss, Wozniacki said, "It's been a great ride. I'm ready for the next chapter. I'm really excited about what's next to come."
Debuted in the professional tennis in 2005, Wozniacki bagged her only Grand Slam crown in Melbourne with an epic victory over Simona Halep in 2018. Before that, she had made it to the final of the US Open in 2009 and 2014, losing to Kim Clijsters and Serena Williams in respective years.
Caroline Wozniacki, Milestones
- Grand slam singles titles: 1 — Australian Open, 2018
- WTA Finals winner: 2017
- World number one for a total of 71 weeks (2010/11, 2011/12 and 2018)
- Total WTA singles titles won: 30
- Total WTA singles titles as a finalist: 25
- Total WTA doubles titles won: 2
- Total WTA doubles titles as a finalist: 2
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After hitting her last shot in tennis at Melbourne Arena, she joked to the crowd, “I finished my career with a forehand error. Those are the things I’ve been working on my whole career. Guess this is just how it was meant to be.”
In an Instagram post last year, she said she will retire from professional tennis after competing in Melbourne. She wanted to start a family with her husband, former NBA player David Lee.
Coached by her father, Piotr, a former professional soccer player, Wozniacki at 19, was the runner-up to Kim Clijsters at the 2009 US Open. Again she was the runner-up at Flushing Meadows in 2014 with her good friend Serena Williams. She claimed her first major championship in her third such final, and 43rd appearance in a Grand Slam tournament, at the 2018 Australian Open. With more than $US35 million ($51.17million) in prize money earned in her career — along with millions more in endorsements — Wozniacki owns a win-loss record of 630-262.
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Feature Image Credit: ABC
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