Caroline Wozniacki to make WTA return at Cincinnati Open, same tournament she made her debut at 18 years ago
Caroline Wozniacki has accepted a wild card to compete at the 2023 Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, USA.
Having retired from the sport in 2020 and giving birth to two children since, Wozniacki recently announced that she will make a return to tennis and take part in the 2023 US Open.
Wozniacki was last seen in action at the 2020 Australian Open, where the unseeded player reached the third round with straight-sets wins over Kristie Ahn and 23rd seed Dayana Yastremska. She then exited the tournament after a 6-4, 6-4 defeat to Ons Jabeur.
The Cincinnati Open holds a special place in Wozniacki's career as it is a tournament where she made her WTA tour debut as an unranked, 15-year-old wild card in 2005.
The former World No. 1 expressed her delight at the opportunity to compete in Cincinnati once again.
“I first came to Cincinnati when I was 15 years old in 2005. I am so happy to be back where I played my first WTA tournament. A big thank you to the tournament for this opportunity,” she said, in a press release.
Tournament Director Todd Martin stated that Wozniacki's return from tennis is "an exciting story" and is looking forward to seeing her compete in the event.
“Caroline coming back to tennis is an exciting story for all of us. The Western & Southern Open is proud to be part of this early stage of her return to the sport,” he said.
“Caroline has demonstrated remarkable grace and perseverance over the years, and we are confident that this next stanza of her career will be conducted similarly,” he added.
Wozniacki has made 11 appearances in Cincinnati so far, with her best result being a semifinal run in 2014.
"The Paris Olympics is definitely a goal" - Caroline Wozniacki gears up for tennis comeback
While announcing her intention to return to action at the US Open later this year, Caroline Wozniacki also revealed that she has her eyes on tournaments beyond the New York Major, including the Paris Olympics.
Wozniacki stated her intentions to first play in Montreal before the year's final Grand Slam, and then plan for the 2024 season.
"I’m going to play the US Open. There’s just an electric atmosphere in New York that I can’t get enough of, and I’ve played so well there for years and years," she said.
"I’ll start out playing in Montreal just to get back into the groove, and then we’ll all head to New York. After that, I’ll have a couple of months to prepare for Australia, and we’ll take it from there. The Paris Olympics are definitely a goal too," she added.