The former top-ranked player in women’s tennis wrote in a magazine article on Thursday that she’s returning to the court.
Caroline Wozniacki, 32, wrote in a first-person article for Vogue that she misses the sport three years after retiring and less than nine months after having her second child.
“It’s hard to say why, or what changed, but when my dad [and longtime coach, Piotr] saw me practice that day, and said, ‘It looks like you’re enjoying it more’ — that was exactly how I felt: I was relaxed and having fun, and somehow that let me see everything more clearly,” Wozniacki wrote.
In a Twitter post, she said, “Over these past three years away from the game I got to make up for lost time with my family, I became a mother and now have two beautiful children I am so grateful for. But I still have goals I want to accomplish. I want to show my kids that you can pursue your dreams no matter your age or role. We decided as a family it’s time. I’m coming back to play, and I can’t wait!”
Wozniacki spent 71 weeks at No.1. She said she’s hoping to return for the Canadian Open in August and join the U.S. Open field from August 28-September 10.
When she retired, Wozniacki said she wanted to start a family with her husband, former NBA player David Lee, a two-time All-Star who played for the Dallas Mavericks in 2016. She has been working as a commentator for ESPN and the Tennis Channel.
“I’ve accomplished everything I could ever dream of on the court,” Wozniacki wrote on Instagram. “I’ve always told myself, when the time comes, that there are things away from tennis that I want to do more, then it’s time to be done. In recent months, I’ve realized that there is a lot more in life that I’d like to accomplish off the court.”
Two other former top-ranked players, Angelique Kerber and Naomi Osaka, are expected to return to women’s tennis after maternity leave in 2024.
