Caroline Wozniacki

Youthful Dane Stands Tall among the Trees in Women’s Tennis

On the surface, Caroline Wozniacki seems every bit your typical teenager. She attends high school, is an aficionado of the Harry Potter book series and her favourite actor is Johnny Depp.

However, instead of completing her homework in the comfort of her own home, the 17-year old native of Odense, Denmark hits the books between matches at top tier events on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.

Ranked No. 53 in the world, Wozniacki has taken her game to a new level since the start of the 2008 season. She advanced to the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time at the Australian Open in January, a run which included straight set victories over Top 50 regular Gisela Dulko and World No.21 Alona Bondarenko before being upended by eventual finalist Ana Ivanovic in a spirited tussle. Wozniacki continued her stellar play last week in Doha, Qatar where she was a quarter-finalist at the Qatar Total Open, a prestigious Tier I Tour stop. She showcased her ability to take the ball early, a quality reminiscent of her tennis idol Martina Hingis, in an impressive second round triumph over reigning Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli.

Wozniacki broke onto the professional tennis scene in 2007, winning two ITF Pro Circuit singles titles, reaching her maiden Tour singles semifinal to go along with four quarter-final berths at the highest level of the sport. She also qualified for the Rogers Cup in Toronto, her first appearance on Canadian soil.

With her father a former professional soccer player in Poland and her mother once a member of the Polish national volleyball team, Wozniacki seemed destined for athletic greatness. She began playing tennis at age seven under the tutelage of her dad and she hasn’t looked back since. Wozniacki enjoyed a great deal of success on the ITF Junior Circuit, claiming top honours at a Grand Slam in 2006 on the lawns of the All England Club. She also scored runner up finishes that same year in singles at the Australian Open and in doubles at Roland Garros where she fell to Canadian Sharon Fichman and her partner Anastasia Palyuchenkova. In addition, the self-proclaimed steak and potatoes lover was the 2005 Orange Bowl champion.

Although she may still be getting her feet wet on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, Wozniacki has proven in the early stages of a promising career that she possesses all the tools to not only to complete with the best, but more importantly to be the best.