Former world number one tennis player Caroline Wozniacki discusses her return to tennis from retirement now that she is a mother to two children and how she was inspired by other pro moms like her good friend Serena Williams.
Caroline Wozniacki is counting down the moments until she is back making her tennis comeback at the U.S. Open -- but this time, she has two kids by her side and a few years of marriage under her belt.
To be exact, the Wozniacki team is a dedicated group of eight, which includes her son James, 9 months, and daughter Olivia, 2, who were born after Wozniacki retired in 2020.
"It's for sure a lot," the former world No. 1 exclusively told NBC on Thursday. "We have a lot of hotel rooms or we try and rent houses or apartments at places. It makes it a little easier. And the hard part, is figuring out, 'How -- how do we get the whole family from A to B -- all over the world?'"
The 33-year-old from Denmark last played in a Grand Slam event at the 2020 Australian Open, where she fell in the third round to current-world No. 4 Ons Jabeur in three sets.
Now, Wozniacki joins an elite group of tennis moms who have made epic comebacks, including but not limited to Elina Svitolina, Victoria Azarenka, Kim Clijsters but most notably, Serena Williams.
Williams and Wozniacki, in fact, have a special relationship. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion and mother of two was a bridesmaid when Wozniacki married former NBA All-Star David Lee in 2019.
"Seeing, obviously, Serena coming back and playing unbelievable and Azarenka and Svitolina, it just gives you a lot of inspiration that you can do it, too," Wozniacki said. "And Serena -- you know, obviously, is busy right now. Just had her second daughter. But she still takes time out to text me and see how I'm doing and how I'm feeling."
Williams and Alexis Ohanian announced on Tuesday that their second baby girl, Adira River Ohanian, had arrived. The couple had their first baby in 2017 and named her Olympia.
Wozniacki is set to take on a qualifier in the first round of the 2023 U.S. Open. While the exact day is not set, it is likely she will be featured on Arthur Ashe Stadium in a night session match.
"I've just really felt the love from the fans and you can tell there's a lot of moms in the crowd," she said. "I get a lot of stories from them and how happy they are to see a fellow mom on tour and living out my passion, my dream. So, the support that I've felt has been absolutely incredible, and I'm excited to see how it's gonna feel out there at the U.S. Open, as well. I'm sure it's gonna be great."
The U.S. Open begins Monday, Aug. 28, and is set to run through Sunday, Sept. 10, in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
