Wozniacki happy to set her Grand Slam record straight

Bengaluru/Doha, February 12: World No.1 without a Grand Slam? Does that take the gloss off your achievemnet? May not... but critics won't agree though.

There have many players in the past who have gone on to become world No.1 without winning a Grand Slam with names like Dinara Safina and Jelena Jankovic topping them all. Caroline Wozniacki was also in that 'dubious' list till last month before she ended her long-wait for a maiden Grand Slam by winning the Australian Open where she beat Simona Halep in a thrilling three-setter in the final.

That win at Melbourne Park also helped her regain the numero uno status in women's tennis, something which she had held for the first time in 2010.

While insisting that life is still the same despite her new-found status as women's world No.1, Wozniacki is happy to have set the Grand Slam record straight for now.

"Life hasn't changed at all. It's the same when I go back on the practice courts. I still have things that I need to work on and get stuff from my dad saying move your feet, do this," said Wozniacki while addressing the media in Doha ahead of the Qatar Open.

"I think the only thing that has changed with people treating me differently is that I don't have to answer the question of being No. 1 without a Grand Slam anymore. So that's a difference, that's a big difference and that's a change that I'm very happy about."

The 27-year-old has been given the top billing in the WTA Premier 5 tournament which begins at the hard-courts of Khalifa International Tennis Complex on Monday (February 12).

Wozniacki has twice reached the final of the Doha event, only to end up on the losing side (to Vera Zvonareva in 2011, and Karolina Pliskova in 2017). But she hopes to learn by experience.

"I think you keep getting experience and you keep learning. And I think the tennis keeps improving, so you need to constantly improve your own game to be on top.
And I think, yeah, you just get smarter. You know, you learn how to properly train and how to save your body and hopefully try to prevent injuries, because that's the main thing," she added.

Wozniacki is among nine of the top 10 (except Venus Williams), who are in the fray in Doha this week. The strong field includes Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza, defending champion Karolina Pliskova while the wild-card entries have been given to past champions Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova, who have both won the tournament twice are in line to win the Diamond Ball Trophy, which is awarded for the first three-time winner of the tournament.

If everything goes according to the draw, Wozniacki may end up playing Halep again in the finals on Sunday (February 18), in what could be a repeat of the Australian Open title clash. But that is something which does not worry her much.

"I'm excited for the challenge, and at the end of the day I think I'm just going to go out there, have fun and see what happens".