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Caroline Wozniacki is doing a Tom Brady.
The Danish tennis star announced Thursday in an interview with Corey Seymour of Vogue that she is returning to the sport after announcing her retirement in 2020 to start a family.
And 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams was one of the first people to learn of her decision to return to the sport.
“Wow—good for you,” Williams told Wozniacki when she told her about her return to tennis over dinner. “I’m going to cheer you on every step of the way, and if you ever need anything, I’m here.”
Wozniacki said she intends to compete in the 2023 U.S. Open later this summer and has set a goal of playing in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Caroline Wozniacki @CaroWozniacki
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… pic.twitter.com/OQatFWxQGK
Wozniacki announced her retirement ahead of the 2020 Australian Open and she went on to have two children—daughter Olivia and son James—with her husband, former NBA player David Lee.
In her piece with Vogue, she brought attention to the fact that several women have returned to the sport after having children, including Williams, who announced her retirement last summer.
Wozniacki wrote:
“Let’s also understand: Most of the men on tour don’t have to retire to have a family—they can play through. You had Roger [Federer], who had four children while playing. Novak [Djokovic] has two, and Rafa [Nadal] has a child; [Andy] Murray has four. For the women, though, it’s mostly been either/or, and I’d like to be part of changing this. Victoria Azarenka, Kim Clijsters, and Serena have already shown what it takes to have a child and return to the tour. It’s not easy by any means, but it is possible.”Am I nervous? Not really. I’m coming back to something I love. Yes, I’ll be nervous before a match; I’m okay with that. I’m great with that. Can I win the US Open? I think so. Can I win the Australian Open? I think so. That’s why I’m doing this. And I guess we’ll see what happens. I think it’s a great story. I think it’s awesome.”
While Wozniacki wanted to start a family, she also was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease, just two years before her retirement.
Wozniacki said in her initial retirement post that her decision wasn’t based on her health. However, she opened up about the pain she has experienced from the disease in her piece with Vogue.
“My rheumatologist and I came up with a plan: I’d take extraordinary care to walk, run, swim — anything, really — just to keep my joints moving; I’d hydrate myself relentlessly and eat a very particular kind of anti-inflammatory diet,” Wozniacki said. “It was complicated and precise, but effective — until I reached a point where the entire process became too exhausting: keeping tabs on every single detail of what I ate, how much water I’d been drinking; putting in all the hours, every single day, on the court and in the gym and monitoring my recovery and traveling. That’s when I knew I needed a break.”
The former world No. 1 won 30 singles titles before retiring in 2020. She won the 2018 Australian Open against Simona Halep and 2017 WTA Finals in Singapore against Venus Williams.
The 2023 US Open begins on Aug. 28 and runs through Sept. 10. All eyes will be on Wozniacki has she joins a growing list of mothers to compete on the WTA Tour, including Victoria Azarenka, Elina Svitolina and Taylor Townsend.
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