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Caroline Wozniacki's father Piotr recently took umbrage at the French Open organizers for overlooking the former World No. 1 for a wildcard in the women's singles competition. Wozniacki Sr.'s claims, however, have been interpreted as disingenuous by the tennis community.
Piotr Wozniacki, who has coached the former Australian Open champion since her childhood, expressed displeasure with the prospect of his daughter playing in the qualifiers for the claycourt Major while speaking to Polish tabloid Gazeta. Moreover, he demanded respect on her behalf before stating that the Dane would not be playing in Paris next year.
"Of course we could [enter qualifying in Roland Garros], because we have a ranking that allows it... But Caroline said that she had not worked hard all her life and had not achieved so much to now start as a junior," Caroline Wozniacki's father told Gazeta. "At some point in life, however, there should be respect in a sport where a person meant something. And I will tell you that Caroline will definitely not play next year."
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Caroline Wozniacki's father's comments have not found favor with fans, who took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their feelings. One fan alluded to how the former World No. 1 had received a wildcard entry into virtually every big tournament she had played since her 2023 comeback.
"The entitlement is off the charts! Pretty sure she’s had a WC into almost every big event… Why is she still not top 100 then after so many WC’s?" they wrote.
Another fan, meanwhile, insisted that Caroline Wozniacki had underestimated the rest of the WTA Tour, and that she found out the hard way that she has yet to reach a respectable level.
"or simply she couldn't compete & thought the field was weak from her commentating chair... f**k around & find out at its finest!!!" they wrote.
Another fan pointed out that the British player had several chances to qualify over the last couple of months.
"She had plenty of opportunities at the biggest tournaments over the last 9 months to score enough points to get in on her own. Now dad's angry that they didn't give a WC to someone that never even made the SF...???" a fan wrote.
One user implied that the athlete's father had blown it out of proportion.
"Long story short: a player who got plenty of wild cards over the past year gets denied by two events, her dad is outraged," wrote another.
Others pointed out that there had been other tournaments to help Wozniacki qualify, which she did not participate in.
"if you want to build your rank you should start from 250/500 not only picking slams and 1000 :)," one fan wrote.
Some users stressed that a wild card has to be earned, and that nobody automatically deserves it.
"The point of wild cards is literally to give them to who the tournament thinks will sell tickets early rounds, which is why Wozniacki has gotten plenty in the last 12 months.RG and Rome gave them to home players, and that's fine. Honestly, nobody "deserves" a wild card," another wrote.
"I mean she literally 'retired' … It’s not like we were expecting a return. Earn your way back," a fan wrote.
"She got a ton of wildcards but the results weren't there. Don't think she has the level anymore to be a top player," wrote another.
While Caroline Wozniacki will miss this year's French Open, she can take respite in her results this season. The 33-year-old has won seven of her 14 matches in 2024 thus far, which is respectable considering she had a break of more than three years following her first retirement in 2020.
Caroline Wozniacki has given a good account of herself in 2024
The key highlights of the former World No. 1's season came at this year's BNP Paribas Open. She defeated 25th-seeded Donna Vekic and three-time Major winner Angelique Kerber en route to the last eight, where she retired after losing the first set to eventual champion Iga Swiatek.
Caroline Wozniacki is one of the best players to have plied their trade on the WTA Tour in the 21st century. The Dane won her lone Major title at the 2018 Australian Open and spent 71 weeks as the World No. 1 in 2010-11 and 2018.
