Caroline Wozniacki believes more needs to be done to support mums on tour as she looks ahead to Wimbledon

Caroline Wozniacki insists she feels respected after returning to tennis but believes more needs to be done to support mums on tour.

The former world number one retired last summer after three and a half years apart, during which time she had two children.

Wozniacki’s father and coach Piotr caused a stir last month when he criticized the sport in an interview with Polish media, calling women’s tennis “pathological” after the Italian Open and French Open both declined to give his daughter a wild card.

Piotr suggested that Wozniacki was so frustrated that she would hang up her racket again before next season, but that was shot down by Caroline.

Wozniacki said: “I think sometimes my dad gets a little ahead of himself. It’s definitely not something we’ve talked about.”

The 33-year-old is one of a growing group of mothers on tour, but the length of her absence means that, unlike Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber, she has no protected ranking and has relied on wild cards to enter the majors .

Until recently, she had not had a hard time getting hold of them and she does not share her father’s view that she has been disrespected, although she believes that more needs to be done to understand the needs of mothers.

“I think I’ve been treated very well,” she said. “The tournaments have really embraced me coming back and with kids.

“Where I share my view, and where many other women on tour share the view, is that I think more should be done for women coming back from maternity leave.

“It’s been looked at because obviously there are more players now who want to come back, but at the same time it’s not the same as coming back from injury.

“As someone who came back after almost four years, I think that when you give birth and for the body to recover, you have grown into a person within yourself, there are many changes that happen in the body after that.

“I think in general women deserve more time to feel ‘OK, now I’m ready, I can really prepare and get ready to compete at the highest level’.

Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam where Wozniacki has not reached at least the quarter-finals, but after playing in the legend last year, she is eager to return to the main draw for the first time since 2019 after claiming a wild card to play. at the All England Club.

“I have prepared for the grass. I feel confident, I feel comfortable and I want to prepare for Wimbledon as well as possible,” the Danish superstar told Sky Sports.

“We’re coming into my best part of the season which is grass and hard courts, so those are two surfaces that I feel very comfortable and confident on.

“Wimbledon is such a special event. It has history and I think it’s a bit like the Masters in golf when you walk into Wimbledon. You can’t really explain it to someone who hasn’t been there before. It’s an incredibly special place who have this aura around them.

“I’ve played on Center Court several times and you just see and feel how everyone is so knowledgeable and respectful. And with the way the ball hit the grass, there’s just something so special about it. It’s definitely a place that has brought back a lot of special memories for me .

“For me, right now, it’s getting as comfortable and as well prepared as possible for Wimbledon, which is obviously my main goal and then we’ll see how I do at Wimbledon but I believe in myself. I believe when I play my best tennis I can beat anyone, especially on a surface like grass.

“I feel like my game fits my game well and it’s about picking my targets and hitting my shots.”

Wozniacki is also excited to potentially share the Wimbledon experience with her children – three-year-old Olivia and one-year-old James – who are traveling with her on tour.

“I’ve been very proud of how I’ve been able to come back and handle myself,” she said. “I think it’s so special to be able to do that with my kids. To have them watch me play and do this has really been a special moment for me and my family and so I’ve been very proud of how I’ve been fighting.

“I’m just taking it one tournament at a time.”

What’s on on Sky Sports Tennis?

Ahead of the third Grand Slam in 2024 – Wimbledon – you can see all the biggest tennis stars in action live on Sky Sports as they compete over the grass court season.

• Berlin Open (WTA 500) – June 17-23
• Halle (ATP 500) – June 17-23
• Mallorca Championships (ATP 250) – June 23-29
• Bad Homburg (WTA 500) – June 23-29

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