Grand Slam, world No 1, mother: Everything you always wanted to know about Caroline Wozniacki (but never had time find out) – updated with Madrid Open wildcard

The shock news of the 2023 WTA Tour so far has been Caroline Wozniacki’s return after three and a half years in retirement

Caroline Wozniacki in the 2023 Roland-Garros legends’ event (Chryslene Caillaud/Panoramic)

Carrie Dunn

April 6, 2024

Who is Caroline Wozniacki?

Caroline Wozniacki is a Danish professional tennis player.

Why is Caroline Wozniacki in the news?

Caroline Wozniacki is in the news because she has announced her intention to return to the WTA tour following her retirement at the Australian Open in 2020.

The Dane made her return to competitive action at the National Bank Open in Montreal in August 2023, winning her first match back in more than three years against Kimberly Birrell before losing to Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the second round.

She then reached the fourth round of the US Open, losing to eventual champion Coco Gauff, before falling in the second round of the 2024 Australian Open.

Wozniacki played in Indian Wells and Miami in March 2024 after having received a wildcard for both events. She reached the quarter-finals in California before losing to Iga Swiatek, having to retire with injury in the second set. She then lost in the second round to Kalinina in a surprise defeat in Miami.

Wozniacki also received a wildcard for the Madrid Open and will play the first 1000-level clay-court event of the season as she continues her comeback.

Why did Caroline Wozniacki retire?

Caroline Wozniacki retired in 2021 after a diagnosis with rheumatoid arthritis and following her marriage to basketball star David Lee. She wrote on Instagram at the time: “I’ve accomplished everything I could ever dream of on the court. I’ve always told myself, when the time comes, that there are things away from tennis that I want to do more, then it’s time to be done. In recent months, I’ve realized that there is a lot more in life that I’d like to accomplish off the court.”

She announced February 2021 that she was expecting her first child, giving birth to a daughter, Olivia, in June 2021.

She then announced a year later she was expecting a second child, a son, James, born in October 2022.

Who is Caroline Wozniacki’s husband?

Caroline Wozniacki is married to David Lee. He played basketball in the NBA for teams including the New York Knicks, the Golden State Warriors, the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, and San Antonio Spurs. He retired in 2017.

Wozniacki and Lee announced their engagement in November 2017, and married in June 2019.

Had Caroline Wozniacki been engaged before?

Caroline Wozniacki was previously engaged to golfer Rory McIlroy. They were due to marry in November 2014 but their relationship ended in May of that year. Wozniacki later revealed that McIlroy had broken up with her over the phone.

How old is Caroline Wozniacki?

Caroline Wozniacki was born on July 11, 1990, in Odense, in Denmark.

Has Caroline Wozniacki been world No 1?

Caroline Wozniacki has been world No 1 for a total of 71 weeks, first achieved in October 2010.

Has Caroline Wozniacki won a Grand Slam?

Caroline Wozniacki has won 30 career singles titles, including the Australian Open title in 2018. She has also reached the US Open final twice.

How much career prize money has Caroline Wozniacki won?

As of July 2023, Caroline Wozniacki has a total of $35,233,415 in career prize money.

Who are Caroline Wozniacki’s best friends in tennis?

Serena Williams is one of Caroline Wozniacki’s best friends in tennis, and was her bridesmaid. Other tennis players at the wedding were Angelique Kerber, and the Radwanska sisters, Agnieszka and Urszula.

Does Caroline Wozniacki have rheumatoid arthritis?

Caroline Wozniacki spoke publicly in 2018 about her diagnosis with rheumatoid arthritis. She said at the time: “In the beginning, it was a shock. It’s obviously not ideal for anybody, and I think when you’re a professional athlete, it’s also not even more ideal.

“I think I didn’t want to talk about it during the year because I don’t want to give anyone the edge or thinking that I’m not feeling well, but I have been feeling well.

“You learn how to just cope after matches. Some days you wake up and you can’t get out of bed and you just have to know that’s how it is, but other days you live and you’re fine. You don’t even feel like you have it.”

She went on to win the China Open a few months after the diagnosis, and added: “I know there are a lot of people in the world that are fighting with this, and hopefully I can be someone they can look up to and say that if I can do this, then they can too. And you just kind of have to get together and pull each other up.”

Ahead of her return to the US Open in 2023, Wozniacki spoke more about her life with rheumatoid arthritis, saying: “I think I’m pretty confident in the fact that I can keep my body in check. I think the more you kind of learn about your body, you know what triggers, what you can do to kind of feel better quickly. So it’s something that I’m dealing with on a daily basis.”