Tennis News

TOKYO, Japan – Caroline Wozniacki came to the Toray Pan Pacific Open having re-asserted her presence among the game’s elite at the US Open. Ranked No.74 in late August, the Dane roared into her first Grand Slam semifinal in exactly two years, and reminded fans and pundits that she was still one to watch.

Backing up that run in New York might have been tough for some, but Wozniacki’s week in Tokyo was arguably more impressive, earning two more Top 10 victories – including a thrilling win over No.2 seed Agnieszka Radwanska – to take her first title of 2016. Can she keep up her exciting start to the WTA’s Asian Swing?

WTA Insider caught up with Wozniacki after withstanding the charge from Japanese teenager, Naomi Osaka:

WTA Insider: Take me through the week and how you were able to maintain your form from the US Open with some great wins. What was the key for you this week in Tokyo?
Wozniacki: It’s been a great week, and I think the court really suits me. It’s kind of fast; the ball is a little heavy, but I’ve played well here in the past, and I think grinding and fighting for every point was key. I had some tough three-set matches here this week, and I managed to pull those off. I’m just really happy to be here at the end of the tournament.

WTA Insider: Going back to maybe a few days after the US Open, and you’re thinking about the rest of the season. What’s going through your mind as you know you’re playing well and have a great opportunity in Asia. What’s your motivation or your thought process before heading to Tokyo?
Wozniacki: Honestly, I took some days off and relaxed after enjoying a good US Open run. I had some sponsor commitments, and had a few hits, or actually one hit before I left for Tokyo. I practiced with a few of the girls here before my first match. I felt good, like I was hitting the ball well. I knew I’d face a few tough opponents, but I was feeling confident and hitting the ball well. That combination is good for me.

WTA Insider: Did you think you had a level of confidence heading to Tokyo that you hadn’t had the rest of the year?
Wozniacki: I just felt like I played well at the US Open, and if I could keep that up, I would be tough to beat. But you never know; it’s a new week, new tournament, and I was just coming in here trying to take one match at a time – I know that’s a cliché – and go from there. I know that, when I’m healthy, I can play well, so hopefully I can carry this on into the rest of the year.

WTA Insider: Flashback to Zhuhai, and maybe again when we spoke in Eastbourne. Your injuries were creeping up and had obviously derailed your season for several months. You kept saying that if you kept working, surely luck has to break your way somehow. Do you feel like that’s what has happened over the past four weeks?
Wozniacki: It’s been a great few weeks. I’m just happy that I’ve managed to get some great wins under my belt. It hasn’t been about getting easy draws, but I’ve gotten some breaks to win the tight matches. I’ve been healthy for a little bit now, which is huge for me. Hopefully I can build on that moving forward.

WTA Insider: Talking about the final a little bit: you fell behind the early break, and was able to turn things around. Was there a leg issue as well?
Wozniacki: I don’t know; hopefully it’ll feel better tomorrow. I got some treatment on it, got it taped up. Right now, I’m going to try and enjoy this win for as long as I can. It was a tough match; Naomi’s a great player, and really young, so she has lots of potential. I think we’ll see lots of her in the future.

WTA Insider: You were talking about the ability to turn things around and play better tennis in New York, and you’re playing much more offensively, getting to the net. That seems like a change; is that something you’ve put into your mind about shortening points?
Wozniacki: I think I’m maybe moving a little bit faster. I’ve been able to work on my fitness, so that means that I can get to the ball faster and take it earlier. That gets my opponent out of position, and that makes it easier to get to net, when the opportunity is there.

WTA Insider: You’re going to board a plane fairly quickly to head over to China. There’s lots of points in Wuhan and Beijing. How much does getting back into the Top 20 or other possible ranking goals play on your mind?
Wozniacki: Not really. I’m playing well; obviously, being in the Top 10 is a goal. But everything else, I’m just happy to have won here and I’m going to do my best to deal with this really quick turnaround. We’ll have to see how I can do that, go out there and fight.

WTA Insider: The semifinal you played against Aga was one of the most riveting matches of the year. You had your back against the all and were able to pull that out. How much do those wins over top players mean to you right now?
Wozniacki: It was such a great fight. Aga and I know each other so well, and we know each other’s games so well. We always know we’re going to have long rallies, and it’s going to be a fun match for both of us. I had my back against the wall and she was playing really well, but I somehow managed to fight and stay aggressive. I went for my shots and they went in at the right moments. It was a grueling match, but a fun one and I really enjoyed it. It definitely means a lot beating a top player, and feeling like I’m back where I want to be.

WTA Insider: Do you fee like you are? Are you there, or are you getting there? Where is Caroline right now?
Wozniacki: I think I’m feeling good. Obviously, you can always improve and always play better. But I feel like I’m hitting the ball well; I’ve beaten four Top 10 players in the last couple of weeks, and it’s been good. I’m just enjoying it and hopefully I can carry this momentum forward to the rest of the year.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL, USA – Ana Ivanovic announced today that she is ending her memorable 14-year career and retiring from professional tennis. The winner of 15 WTA singles titles, a Grand Slam champion and the first Serbian player to hold the top ranking in the world, Ivanovic concludes a career that saw her become one of the best and most respected players in the history of the WTA.

“I’ve decided to retire from professional tennis. It has been a difficult decision, but there is so much to celebrate,” Ivanovic told fans in a message via her Facebook page. “I began dreaming of tennis when I was five and saw Monica Seles play on TV. My parents backed me all the way, and by the time I was ranked No.1 in the world and won Roland Garros in 2008, I’ve seen the heights I’ve never dreamt of achieving.”

“I won 15 WTA titles, played so many memorable matches – I would say not bad for a tiny slip of a girl from Serbia!”

She added: “Seeing those heights in any professional sport requires top physical form, and it’s well-known that I’ve been hampered by injury. I can only play if I can perform up to my own high standards, and I can no longer do that. So it’s time to move on.”

The 29-year-old exits the game having been one of only 21 players to have ever held the WTA World No.1 ranking, ascending to the top spot on June 9, 2008. Ivanovic held the No.1 ranking for a total of 12 weeks, from June 9 – August 10, 2008 for 9 weeks before capturing the top spot again for three more weeks until September 7, 2008.

Ivanovic recorded her career best season in 2008 when she claimed the Roland Garros title, catapulting her to the WTA World No.1 ranking. She also won titles at Indian Wells and Linz and was runner-up at the Australian Open that same season.

Ivanovic turned professional in 2003 and won her first WTA title in 2005 at Canberra. In addition to her 15 career WTA singles titles, she held eight runner-up trophies including 2007 Roland Garros and 2008 Australian Open. In 2014, Ivanovic won a WTA-leading 58 matches highlighted by a single-season best four singles titles, with her 15th and final WTA title coming at Tokyo (Pan Pacific). The Serbian holds 480 career match wins and qualified for the WTA Finals on three occasions – in 2007, 2008 and 2014.

Off the court, Ivanovic has served as UNICEF National Ambassador to Serbia since 2007, specializing in child safety in schools. She has been recognized with numerous awards surrounding her accomplished career, including the 2008 Jerry Diamond WTA Aces Award recognizing off court participation, the WTA’s Most Improved Player in 2005 and 2007, nominated for U.S. Secretary of State’s 2007 International Women of Courage Award, and named one of the “30 Legends of Women’s Tennis: Past, Present and Future” by TIME Magazine in June 2011.

“Ana is a true champion and a great ambassador for the sport of women’s tennis,” said Steve Simon, WTA CEO and Chairman. “She has contributed greatly to the entire sport, both in her home country of Serbia and across the globe. She will certainly be missed on our tour as she is not only one of a very select few that achieved the WTA No.1 ranking but is also one of the most respected players on Tour.”

Ivanovic played her last professional match at the 2016 US Open, falling in the first round and subsequently hampered with a recurring wrist injury which prevented her from competing the rest of the season.

WUHAN, China – Monica Puig is getting a crash-course in the propulsive nature of the tennis season. After a solid quarterfinal showing at the Toray Pan Pacific Open last week, Puig lost in the first round of the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open on Sunday to Roberta Vinci, 6-3, 6-3.

On paper it was a standard result. Few would bat an eye at the sight of the No.15 player in the world knocking out the No.33 player in straight sets.

But nothing is standard for Puig these days. Not since her jaw-dropping run at the Olympic tennis event in Rio, where she defeated now World No.1 Angelique Kerber to win gold, capping off a week that saw her notch career-best win after career-best win. It’s been a whirlwind six weeks since then and the 22-year-old now finds herself between two worlds: one that continues to revel in the glory of gold and one that has relentlessly moved on.

“There’s been a lot of media attention, a lot of focus on just the Olympics,” Puig told reporters after the match. “It’s kind of hard when you have to focus on other things, other tournaments, and everybody keeps bringing you back to Rio.”

After becoming the first man or woman representing Puerto Rico to win Olympic gold, Puig was back on court two weeks later. With the spotlight on her in New York, she bowed out in straight sets in the first round of the US Open to Zheng Saisai.

“It’s a bit tough when you come off the biggest win of your career, the biggest tournament you’ve ever won, and all of a sudden you have to get back to training.

“I feel like Rio definitely drained me mentally and physically because it was a lot to take in. I wish I obviously would have had that time to full-on celebrate, and that would have been it. The tennis calendar isn’t that forgiving.”

Asked directly whether she wished she could have taken a time-out after Rio, Puig did not equivocate: Yes.

“A lot of gymnasts are doing Dancing with the Stars, all this and that,” Puig said with a laugh. “I’m in Wuhan, which is not bad. It’s not bad.

“It’s not something that I’m used to, winning something this big, then having to continue and keep going. I would have loved to celebrate. I would have loved to have some downtime, give my body a little bit of a breather to catch up with everything that’s happened.”

When asked whether she might take some consolation in other players’ ability to battle through a post-Slam winning slump, Puig singled out Angelique Kerber’s ability to get back on track as a good reason not to panic. She also emphasized one simple fact: she wouldn’t trade her gold medal experience for anything.

“It’s like a shock to the body and to everything else,” Puig said. “All of a sudden you’re just like, ‘No way did this just happen.’ I just had that one match in New York, then I came to Tokyo and I had a really good tournament. I think it’s just coming back to thinking about what you have to do, not getting overshadowed by what happened or anything.

“I bet [other players] must have been the same: going to sleep and thinking about everything just happened, that they won a Grand Slam. I think probably for Kerber it’s a little bit different now since she’s had two and so much success, so maybe she’s getting used to it.

“In terms of me, I never had this type of moment. It took me a while to go to sleep and actually calm my thoughts and not replay that moment over and over again. It’s still very new, still very fresh in my mind. I will officially always be labeled the ‘Olympic gold medalist’. I’m getting used to the title.”

Next up for Puig is next week’s China Open and then she will stay in China to play the Tianjin Open. Her goal is to finish the season on a good note and set herself up to be seeded at the Australian Open in January.

“I know when vacation time comes around, I’m not going to be thinking about tennis,” Puig said. “I’m going to turn off Twitter, Instagram. I am going to be like hiatus, out. Nobody is going to know about me for two weeks. I think it’s also healthy to just focus on myself, on the rest, what my body needs to recover, and to start a good pre-season.”

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.

WUHAN, China – Former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki hit another career milestone on Tuesday, winning her 500th career WTA match after defeating Katerina Siniakova, 6-4, 6-4, in the second round of the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.

Wozniacki is currently on a seven-match winning streak, having come to Wuhan less than 48 hours after winning the Toray Pan Pacific Open title, her first of 2016.

“It’s been clicking for me, probably for about a month and a half now,” she said in her post-match press conference. “Even before the US Open, for about a month, I felt really good during practice. It just took me a little bit to get that out when I was playing matches.

“Obviously I still got small injuries here and there. That’s just kind of frustrating.

“It clicked for me at the US Open and I’m happy that it’s clicking for me now. I’m just trying to keep pushing through.”

The Dane will go for win No.501 against rival and longtime friend, Agnieszka Radwanska, whom she defeated in the semifinals of Tokyo last week.

“We’ve known each other for 15 years or something, so I’m pretty sure we know each other’s game by now. If we don’t, then we have a problem. I think we know what to expect. It’s just who can execute best tomorrow.”

Celebrating my 500th career win today! @wuhanopentennis #china pic.twitter.com/N4cd4wpMlK

— Caroline Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) September 27, 2016

Photo courtesy of Caromphoto/Wuhan Open.