Tuesday, March 12, 2024 | Caroline Wozniacki | Press Conference

C. WOZNIACKI/A. Kerber

6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Caroline, obviously it's a special matchup with Angie. How did it feel to be out on the court with her again?

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: It was nice to get the win obviously. Never nice to see your opponent feeling some pain and discomfort, so I hope that she's going to be fine going into Miami.

Yeah, it's just nice we get to play again and to be through to the next round.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Can you just talk about the situation of being two players on the same court, you also had to call the physio at some point in the first set and she also had to call the physio in the second set. How was the situation? How are you feeling also, if you can say what happened with you, getting treatment?

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I was just asking for a retaping of a toe. I had a bumper that was kind of pushing in the wrong place. I asked to get that retaped.

Yeah, you know, I just tried to keep my focus and just play for every point as well as I could. When your opponent is asking for the physio, you just try and keep your head cool and just play the way that you're playing.

Q. The winds kicked up a lot of dust and sand today. Did the court and the balls feel any different?

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: No, it actually felt similar to every day. I did notice the dust kind of in the background when I was driving in here today, but it didn't feel different. The only thing was there was a little bit more wind on the court today compared to the previous match that I had.

Q. Obviously you and Angie go way back. I was curious how much the two of you were in touch as you were working on your respective comebacks as you were planning to return?

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yeah, we text all the time and keep in touch.

Yeah, I mean, even when I wasn't playing and she was still playing Wimbledon last year, you know, we met up. I was doing some stuff for ESPN at that point during Wimbledon and we met up for dinner and hung out.

Yeah, I mean, we talk all the time, and I think that's a friendship that hopefully is going to last a lifetime. You know, we have known each other so many years. Obviously been competing against each other on the court but always been very good friends off the court.

Q. What was her reaction when you told her -- it must have been a bit of a surprise?

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yeah, I think we were both surprised (smiling). But, you know, she's always just supportive of what I want to do and how I do things.

I think, you know, kind of having my first child before her, you know, I think she had a lot of questions too about motherhood and stuff like that. So always happy to share what I know.

But again, you know, everyone is different and everyone goes through everything in a different way. You know, it's just nice to see her back on tour, as well, and thriving.

Q. Given that you said the other day that you're going to play a much more limited schedule than you're used to, how does that change your mindset when you come into these tournaments? I imagine it would be different than it was when, you know, you knew you were going to have a tournament next week or the week after that. Is there more pressure? Is it harder? Does it change how you prepare?

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I guess it's harder, but it's also easier in some ways. I get to really hunker down and feel like I get to work on a lot of stuff when I have the time off and I do get to practice and work on my skills.

Other than that, you know, obviously with not being seeded and, you know, getting wildcards to get into the tournaments, that just, it gives a possibility for a harder draw and obviously no byes, nothing like that, so you have to be ready from the start.

You know, at the end of the day, I'm just thrilled to be back playing and having the opportunity to play here and playing the big events. You know, I try and make the most of it.

Q. I can't do the math of the rankings points. Do you do the math and look at it and have thoughts about, like, well, if I do this I could get seeded by the French Open or Wimbledon or...

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: No, I haven't looked that far. I know that I'm very far down the rankings, so I don't really know. I haven't done the math at all. Obviously the goal is to play in the big tournaments and to play in the slams, so I hope that I can qualify to be in the main draw for those. If not, then I hope that I will be lucky to get a wildcard and work my way in.

Obviously I'm here to play the big events and to try and compete for the big trophies.

Q. Your return is about five, six months in now. You said the other day Australia was disappointing. Where do you think you are at the moment, at what level? And what more or how much higher are you expecting yourself to go?

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: That's a good question. I think maturity-wise and mentally I think I'm doing amazing. You know, I'm very happy with where I am.

Physically, you know, it's always up and down. But, you know, I think tennis-wise from match to match here, it's been very different. I feel like I started off in the first match not finding my perfect rhythm. There was a lot of wind. There was a lot of different things going on, rain, and going on and off, but then once we came back the next day I felt like I played really well, and then I feel like I continued to play on a high level in a couple of matches following that.

Tonight, again, a difficult match against a very seasoned opponent that, you know, I know can play extremely well. It was all about just getting the win.

So at the end of the day, I'm very pleased with how I'm able to find a way. Physically I'm feeling, you know, physically in the sense of I don't get tired on court. I feel like I found the tennis physique back from playing more matches in a row, and I'm happy with that.

Q. An issue with your toe aside, I was wondering how you were managing on the physical side. It's been four matches in a row. There is a day off in the middle, but still, it's probably something that you're not accustomed to anymore. I was wondering how you feel physically and how you manage yourself day to day so that you can be on court...

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: We have great physios here too. Great recovery and everything else. I'm used to practicing really hard every day.

So I feel good. I don't feel tired. You know, I think it definitely helps to have a day in between and being able to rest. And also mentally for me being able to hang out with my kids for a little bit when I have the day off. It makes me feel good I can be with them and they see me.

I think all in all, it's been a very successful tournament for me, and I'm very pleased with how that kind of has progressed.

Q. You and Angie have both said there is really no more surprises between you two because you've played each other so often. But it has been a few years. Was there anything she did on court that caught you off guard, an evolution of her game? And if you could say a few words about your exchange at the net after.

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: No, no surprises. I mean, we have practiced with each other again. Neither of us played, after Australian neither of us went to the Middle East and played, neither of us did any of that. But in Australia we practiced together.

We know what we do well, we know what we can improve on. But at the end of the day, you know, we know each other's strengths and we know what our patterns and everything else is.

So it was, I think, no surprises out there today.

Q. Could you put a percentage on where you are in terms of where you could be? Are you 75% of the player that you think you could be in six months?

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Tennis-wise?

Q. Yeah.

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I don't think that's fair to give myself a percentage, because I always believe, even when I was No. 1 in the world, I could improve. I feel like I have improved, and every tournament every year, I feel like I'm improving.

Obviously there is sometimes when you feel you're playing better; other times you feel like you're playing worse. Sometimes, you know, you get the results you want, and other times not, even besides how you feel you're playing.

You know, I feel like I played amazing in Australia, I felt in practice I was hitting the ball as clean as I've ever hit it, and it didn't go my way. Sometimes you just need a little luck, as well.

Here first round I didn't feel like I played my best tennis, but, you know, you grind through and you kind of find a way through it. Every day you're grinding just to get through matches.

I don't like to put a percentage on how much I can improve, but obviously I can always improve. That's what I'm working on when I have some time and time in between tournaments, you know. I want to be fast, I want to be agile, I want to move the ball around, I want to improve my serve. I feel like I've added some power to my serve.

That was the one thing in Australia, I felt like my first serves were around 100 miles an hour. Right now I have been having a couple that were 110, 112, and that's something that I've worked on.

It's not something I'm going to do every time I serve, because I like to find my spots as well, but little things like that that I like to improve over time and every week, every month.

Q. Carlos Alcaraz was talking about reading a lot of the comments on Instagram and maybe some of the negative ones getting him down. When you and I were his age social media wasn't as robust but it still is pretty prevalent. Obviously now that you're a mom, you may not be on social media a ton, but how important is it in your 20s to develop a good relationship with social media where you're able to engage with fans but not necessarily feel overwhelmed by the comments or the pressure?

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I think for me I don't spend a ton of time on social media anymore. I don't have so much time for it. I like to keep my fans updated on what I do.

I will have times where I post more and times where I don't post for a while. I think it's important to know what you're doing and that you have a good team around you, and you know how much work you have been putting into it. Nobody else knows that.

It looks so easy from the outside, but if it was easy, everyone would be doing it. I think that's the No. 1 thing to think about. You don't become one of the best players in the world by listening to people who don't really know tennis as well as you do.

I think most importantly is to really care about what your team, what your family, and what you think of your game, because when you look inside, you know deep down what you need to improve on, what you do well. At times you've just got to grind through some of the hard times because better times are coming.

Q. I have just a question on the next match, since Iga Swiatek just won. Do you remember something about the match you played against her in Montreal, 2018? If you remember something if you're surprised by the way she grew up from there?

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: No, that's a long time ago, and I think it's not really going to be the same match either.

I think I have obviously commentated some of her matches. I know how she's playing. Obviously she's playing good tennis, playing powerfully. I practiced with her as well a few times after I have come back, during the US Open as well. I know how she plays, but it's one thing knowing how she plays and also playing against her in a full match.

I know that I have to play my best tennis to compete against her, and that's what I hope to do.