FLUSHING MEADOWS, NY – You can’t blame Caroline Wozniacki for being happy. After winning in Montreal and then New Haven, she is on a roll.
And now she cruised into the third round of the US Open, losing only two games in the first round to Chelsey Gullickson, 6-1 6-1, and now the shutting out Kai-Chen Chang, 6-0 6-0.
Yes, it was just another day at the office for the Danish beauty.
“The expectations maybe from the outside has changed, but from myself I always go into a tournament and I want to win it,” she said. “Doesn’t really matter what tournament I’m playing, and I always believe in myself. It’s not always possible to win every tournament, but at least I give it a shot.
“You know, the only time I get disappointed with myself is if I feel like I haven’t given 100%. You know, I’m almost always giving 100%. It’s just about if I lose a match, okay, the opponent was just playing better than me that day, and I need to get back and work harder and be better for next time.”
Wozniacki is now the No. 1 seed with Serena Williams out of the tournament. She is no longer below the radar, like she was at during the first week of last year’s US Open where she was overshadowed by the Melanie Oudin story and then Kim Clijsters, who beat her in the final.
“Well, the atmosphere here is great,” she said. “I really love playing here. I mean, it’s a great feeling. Also coming back from last year, you know, being in the finals, coming back here and just, yeah, playing on the big courts, it’s a great feeling.”
Her run comes after the 20 year-old injured her ankle after the Wimbledon, she took a few weeks off to get healthy, which essentially recharged her batteries, allowing her to make this run.
“Yeah, I mean, I’m that type of person that I like to do everything 100%,” she said. “If I don’t feel like I’m practicing 100%, it makes me frustrated a little bit, when I have to take care of myself, you know, where I have to take care of my body.
“You know, Charleston was, yeah, it was tough, you know. I got that ankle injury and wasn’t feeling great. I had to take care of myself. You know, it’s tough when I’m used to doing so much fitness off the court, and I really couldn’t do that.
“It was great for me to have that time off after Wimbledon, and that’s where I really started to feel like my ankle was feeling 100% and I could really practice 100% and go to sleep and feel, okay, today I’ve really done what I had to do. That’s the way I need to progress.
“It’s bringing out the results, and I’m really, really happy now. You know, hopefully I can just stay injury‑free and keep improving.”
And now she’s looking to win her first major, even though her bracket looks tough and a potential meeting with Sharapova looms, Wozniacki’s confidence is strong.
“My body is feeling great,” she said. “I’m feeling fine. I had those five weeks after Wimbledon where I just practiced, and actually that’s ‑‑ I almost feel like that’s harder than playing matches. I really like playing matches.
“I would like to get into that rhythm. Especially when you’re winning, you have that confidence. You go out on the court and you know what to do. You’re in your own bubble. That’s what I’m aiming for.”
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