Caroline Wozniacki, in her remarkable comeback to professional tennis after a 3½-year hiatus, achieved a significant victory at the US Open. She defeated two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 7-5, 7-6 (5) in Arthur Ashe Stadium, advancing to the third round of the tournament.
Wozniacki's decision to come out of retirement has proven to be the right choice, and her emotions were evident as she celebrated the victory. After the match, she sat in her sideline chair, covered her face with both hands, and then smiled while glancing at her husband and father in the stands. Two gold chains around her neck bore the names of her children, Olivia and James.
The 33-year-old from Denmark, who won the Australian Open in 2018 and reached the No. 1 ranking during her first stint on tour, initially left tennis in early 2020 to start a family with her husband, former NBA player David Lee. She also spent time working as a TV analyst. Currently ranked No. 623 in the world, she made her competitive return this month and is back at Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2019.
Wozniacki, who was the runner-up at the US Open in 2009 and 2014, expressed her joy at being back on the court at the tournament she loves and feels comfortable in. She spoke of her confidence in her tennis skills and her belief that she can be a strong contender in the draw.
Her next opponent in the third round will be Jennifer Brady, the 2020 US Open semifinalist and 2021 Australian Open finalist, who recently returned to the tour after a two-year absence due to injuries.
In the match against Kvitova, Wozniacki demonstrated her resilience, including when she failed to convert her first two match points in the second set. Despite the challenges, she managed to win the tiebreaker and secure the victory. Wozniacki's win adds to her impressive career record, with 122 major match wins, ranking fourth among active women, behind Venus Williams, Victoria Azarenka, and Kvitova, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.