Caroline Wozniacki: How long can she last at the top slot?
As the Women’s Tennis Association releases new rankings on Monday, Caroline Wozniacki will have officially achieved a feat worthy of recognition. The 20-year-old player will have dethroned Serena Williams as the World Number 1, taking the top place in women’s
tennis for herself. Ecstatic with joy, Wozniacki declared, “This is a real big step for me. To be the world No. 1 has always been a dream for me. It doesn’t feel like it’s real.”
Caroline Wozniacki happens to be the first player from Denmark to hold the Number 1 ranking, an accomplishment she achieved after a straight sets win over Petra Kvitova at the 2010 China Open in Beijing, to make it to the quarter-finals of the event. Wozniacki
is also the 20th player to ascend to the coveted World Number 1 position since the rankings were initiated in 1975. In the last two years, she is the third player to make it to the top without winning a Grand Slam title.
However, this seems to be next on the blonde tennis pro’s list of priorities. When asked about her plans for a Major title, she said, “That would be like a dream come true.” Wozniacki has accumulated a total of five titles this year, and holds a 20-1 winning
streak in her last 21 matches. Her best result at a Major tournament was at Flushing Meadows this year, where Wozniacki made it to the semi-finals of the US Open tournament. She has been described by WTA chairman Stacey Allaster as having “incredible athleticism,
discipline, dedication to training and razor-sharp focus.”
Now that Caroline Wozniacki has made it to the pinnacle of women’s tennis, there is only one question left to be asked - does she have what it takes to sustain this position, or will she burn out like Dinara Safina and Jelena Jankovic?
The answer to this question is yes, and no. Yes, Wozniacki has what it takes to make a champion of herself, and no, she shows no signs of burning out like the other two tennis players who made it to the top without a Grand Slam title.
There are several things which set Wozniacki apart from her competition, the first of which is this: there is still room for improvement. Although the Dane has possibly one of the best games seen on the court in recent years, it is as yet incomplete (which
may be one of the reasons she has yet to win a Major). Although her service has caught up, there is still room for improvement where her forehand is concerned. Although she’s great when defence is concerned, Wozniacki loses out when the game becomes critical
and points become crucial. This is anything but a handicap; in fact, if she can become the World Number 1 despite all these issues, Wozniacki will only attempt to improve her game through hard work and practice.
Players who are in the same age set as Wozniacki are taking much longer to prove themselves as serious tennis players. Victoria Azarenka is largely disappointing, Agnieszka Radwanska doesn’t have too many tricks up her sleeve, and other players such as Petra
Kvitova, Anastasia Pachlyuchenkova and Yanina Wickmayer are still not a challenge for Wozniacki.
Another reason for Wozniacki’s continued dominance would be that her biggest rivals are more or less out of the competition this year. Both Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters have taken time off to recover from surgery, and it is unlikely that they will play
a full year’s tournaments. The same is true for Venus Williams and Justine Henin – one is suffering from knee problems, and the other is inconsistency. The only real challenge which Wozniacki may have to face is Vera Zvonareva.
Over time, when there is a player challenging enough for Wozniacki, she will be stronger and more ready to stake her claim to the World Number 1 position – for the time being, it seems like she’s here to stay.
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