Caroline Wozniacki has entered the Wimbledon qualifying after the Dane’s father issued some robust phrases in opposition to the WTA and French Open.
On Wednesday, the names of former world No. 1 Wozniacki and 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu appeared on the Wimbledon qualifying record. On paper, it isn’t shocking, provided that Wozniacki is ranked at No. 117 on the planet whereas Raducanu is at the moment utilizing a protected rating of No. 103.
EDITOR’S PICKS
In Raducanu’s case, the 21-year-old Briton signing up for the Wimbledon qualifying is not significantly shocking however there may be little to little doubt that she’s going to obtain a principal draw wildcard.
However Wozniacki getting into the Wimbledon qualifying is a bit attention-grabbing because it comes simply two weeks after her father Piotr completely unloaded on the WTA and likewise the Rome Open and French Open for not giving the 2018 Australian Open champion a principal draw wildcard into these two tournaments.
Since ending her retirement final summer season which lasted three and a half years, 33-year-old Wozniacki has appeared in a complete of 10 tournaments, together with the 2023 US Open and this yr’s Australian Open. Additionally, Wozniacki has competed in a few WTA 1000, for which she was additionally granted wildcards.
When Wozniacki introduced her comeback, the overall perception was that the 2018 Australian Open champion would haven’t any points taking part in wherever she needed, contemplating her resume. However lately, the Danish former world No. 1 acquired a chilly bathe after the Rome Open and French Open determined in opposition to giving her a principal draw wildcard. And Wozniacki did not really feel it was proper and she or he did not wish to play within the qualifying of Rome and the French Open.
Relating to Wimbledon, Wozniacki will seemingly get a principal draw wildcard there as Wimbledon has an extended historical past of respecting nice champions.
How Wozniacki’s father Piotr ripped the WTA, Rome and French Open?
Since Wozniacki was out of motion attributable to retirement, she did not have a particular rating to make use of when she returned. However she continues to be an enormous title in ladies’s tennis and the Dane’s father thought the WTA and tournaments would present rather more appreciation and respect for the previous world No. 1
“Caroline is an ideal instance to point out everybody how pathological ladies’s tennis is. My daughter doesn’t have a protected rating as a result of she had an extended break, and that’s wonderful,” Piotr Wozniacki advised sport.pl in late Could.
“However isn’t it value serving to such a woman if she determined to return again? The WTA believes that it’s working in an beginner trend within the largest skilled ladies’s sport of all sports activities on the planet. It seems that when somebody like Caroline Wozniacki comes again as Caroline Wozniacki and household, she is not welcome.
“Since final yr all wildcards are the property of the tournaments and the WTA washes its palms of them. The impact? For the match in Rome, all of the wild playing cards got to Italians. I perceive selling your gamers, however how are you going to give the suitable to play in a match of this rank to women who shouldn’t even take into consideration taking part in in a WTA 1000 match?
“Positive we may [have entered qualifying] however Caroline stated she didn’t work arduous all her life and didn’t obtain that a lot to start out like a junior now. Sooner or later in life there ought to be respect in a sport by which an individual meant one thing. Caroline isn’t the kind of one who considers qualifying a dishonor. However within the case of Roland Garros, she needed to see if she was revered. That’s why she didn’t enter qualifying.”
Wozniacki’s father hinted she would play within the Wimbledon qualifying
Throughout the identical interview, Piotr Wozniacki indicated that his daughter – who turns 34 in July – could retire after the 2024 season ends. Additionally, Wozniacki’s father recommended that the previous world No. 1 could be keen to play within the Wimbledon qualifying if she was not granted a principal draw wildcard there.
“I’ll let you know that Caroline will certainly not play subsequent yr. We have now already determined this. As a result of there’s no level in going by one thing like that. They don’t take us critically, so it’s a waste of our efforts,” Piotr Wozniacki added in his interview.
“We’ll survive till the tip of this season, till the final grand slam match, the US Open, after which we are going to depart it at that. We’ll see what occurs with Wimbledon alongside the best way. Earlier than that, Caroline will attempt to play a match, perhaps they are going to allow us to in. And at Wimbledon, if Caroline doesn’t get a wild card, we are going to play qualifiers.”
Earlier than her first retirement from tennis, Wozniacki made 13 principal draw appearances at Wimbledon and 6 occasions reached the round-of-16 however by no means a quarterfinal.
