MONTREAL — Caroline Wozniacki is juggling a lot more balls in the air than the last time she played in a tennis tournament.
Since her last official match, she's become a mother — twice — and her hands have been full with more than tennis rackets.
The former world No. 1 and 2018 Australian Open champion received a wild-card entry into the National Bank Open main draw and is playing her first match since January 2020 on Tuesday at IGA Stadium after retiring to start a family.
Instead of just worrying about herself and her performance, Wozniacki had some more logistics to sort out on her trip to Montreal.
First was a “tricky” daytime flight, because entertaining a two-year-old daughter and a nine-month-old son is “not easy.” Once that went better than expected, getting proper hotel and transport accommodations was next.
“The hotel rooms, and the cars, and the car seats,” said the 33-year-old from Denmark. “Those are the things that you never think about before and now it's like, 'wow, wait, so you need this room, that room,' and all of a sudden you're renting out a whole floor at a hotel.
"Honestly it's all worth it. I couldn't have done it without having my family here. I love having them here and it makes me so happy."
On the tennis court, Wozniacki doesn’t expect her first match against Australian qualifier Kimberly Birrell to be perfect, but isn’t worrying because she feels great mentally and physically.
Wozniacki, who won the Montreal tournament in 2010, says her goal is to play as many matches she can to get back into rhythm before the U.S. Open in late August and early September.
From there, Wozniacki believes she can return to where she once was.
“I wouldn't be here if I didn't believe in that," she said. "That's why for me it's important to get as many matches in as I possibly can … whatever it takes before the U.S. Open because I want to be at my best when I get there. And I believe that I can beat anyone when I'm playing my best."
Wozniacki has witnessed a player come back after giving birth and have success firsthand.
In 2009, four-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters had recently returned from having a child and won the U.S. Open. Her opponent? A 19-year-old Wozniacki playing in her first Grand Slam final.
“I do remember because she beat me in the final,” said Wozniacki, reminiscing on a moment she seemed to rather forget. “What Kim did was absolutely amazing.”
Over a decade after Clijsters’s return, it’s Wozniacki’s turn.
And much like Wozniacki was impressed with Clijsters in 2009, younger women’s players are now looking up to her as an inspiration.
“I thought 'OK, you can have your private life, you can have kids and still come back in tennis,’ which is unbelievable and very important for all of us,” said world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka.
“We've sacrificed a lot. Having these examples of people who did it and come back and (show) there is a way, it's really inspiring.”
Headlining the women’s side of the National Bank Open this year is world No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland.
Swiatek said Wozniacki, who represents Denmark but speaks fluent Polish with two parents from Poland, was someone she looked up to growing up.
In Wozniacki’s last match in Canada in 2019, an unseeded 18-year-old Swiatek pulled off a second-round upset over her.
Swiatek says beating Wozniacki that day at the National Bank Open in Toronto was a breakthrough in her career.
"It was important for me because I lost the first set 6-0 and then I came back and I was able to shake off all the stress and just focus on the game,” said Swiatek. "I realized that I can win those matches against the best players."
Fast forward a few years, and Swiatek, 22, is No. 1 for more than 70 weeks running.
Wozniacki, who kept a close eye on tennis as a television analyst, says she’s returning to a field that has more power and playing styles than when she last played.
But her opponents don’t seem to doubt that she’ll quickly get up to speed once she plays Tuesday.
"I saw her practising and I think she still has this quality, she's moving well, looks really fit and strong and her game always was really tough to play against," said Sabalenka.
“She’s got everything to come back.”
The National Bank Open main draw gets underway Monday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 6, 2023.
Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press
