Caroline Wozniacki's comeback derailed at Billie Jean King Cup as Dane retires without winning a game in Austria tie due to illness
Caroline Wozniacki retired from her ongoing match against Sinja Krauss at the Billie Jean King Cup due to illness. The Dane had lost seven games in a row and was trailing in the match 0-6, 0-1 when she withdrew.
The Billie Jean Cup is an inter-nation tournament held outside the scope of the WTA calendar. Wozniacki was representing Denmark and Krauss was playing for Austria in group 1 in the European zone. The match took place at the Complexo de Tenis do Jamor in Portugal.
This was the first time that Wozniacki had participated in the Billie Jean Cup since her comeback from retirement in 2023.
Acclaimed tennis writer Gaper Riberio Lanca shared the news of the Dane's withdrawal from the tournament on her X (formerly Twitter) account:
"Caroline Wozniacki retires 6-0, 1-0 down to World No. 222 Sinja Kraus due to sickness. It was her first Billie Jean King Cup match after coming back from retirement."
Wozniacki reversed her retirement and made a comeback on the women's tour in the latter half of the 2023 season. On her return, she suffered a couple of early-round exits at the Montreal and Cincinnati Masters, but progressed to the fourth round of the US Open. She lost the match after a tough 3-set battle against eventual champion Coco Gauff.
"I have been hitting it well" - Wozniacki made a spontaneous decision to reverse her retirement decision taken in 2020
Caroline Wozniacki had decided to retire from professional tennis after playing in the 2020 Australian Open. The Dane was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis which hampered her ability as a professional tennis player.
She lost to Ons Jabeur in the third round of the Australian Open in 2020. In an emotional farewell, the audience sang "Sweet Caroline" as a tribute to the Dane.
At that juncture of her career, the former World No. 1 stated that she was content with her accomplishments on the court.
"With 30 WTA singles titles, a world #1 ranking for 71 weeks, a WTA Finals victory, 3 Olympics, including carrying the flag for my native Denmark, and winning the 2018 Australian Open Grand slam championship, I've accomplished everything I could on the court," she said as per Tennis.com.
Wozniacki did not pick up her racquet for almost two years after retirement during which she gave birth to two children. However, once she did, she realized her clarity of thought and felt relaxed.
"That was exactly how I felt: I was relaxed and having fun, and somehow that let me see everything more clearly," she said as per Vogue.
The Dane casually told her husband that she was hitting the ball well and that conversation was the cornerstone of her decision to reverse her retirement.