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Despite top ranking, jury out on Wozniacki
She may be entering the Australian Open as world number one, but for many tennis followers Caroline Wozniacki will not be a true champion until she wins a Grand Slam.
She may be entering the Australian Open as world number one, but for many tennis followers Caroline Wozniacki will not be a true champion until she wins a Grand Slam.
The 20-year-old Dane reached the top ranking in October last year, the consistency of her performances outweighing her failure to win a major trophy.
Wozniacki won six WTA events in 2010 but her best Slam effort was reaching the semi-finals of the US Open. She made the fourth round at Wimbledon and the Australian Open and reached the quarter-finals of the French Open.
The glamorous blonde has hardly started 2011 as the world's best player, following up an exhibition loss to number two Vera Zvonareva with a shock first-match defeat at the Sydney International.
"Last year I had the same start, so hopefully slow start, good finish," she shrugged.
Her lack of a major title has inevitably drawn comparisons with Russia's Dinara Safina and Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, former number ones who never won a Slam and who now look increasingly unlikely to do so.
But if this worries Wozniacki, she shows no signs of fear.
"There's only one winner (of a Grand Slam), there's 128 playing in the main draw -- it's not easy," she said.
"And every time I've been missing something to just take the last step.
"I've lost in the finals and semi-finals of the Grand Slams before but hopefully I will be able to take the next step sooner rather than later."
Wozniacki said missing out on a Grand Slam title was not from want of effort.
"I always go into a tournament and I want to win it," Wozniacki said last week. "I never give up -- I will fight to the last point. It doesn't matter what the score is.
"It's not about life and death so I just go out and have fun and enjoy what I do.... I feel like I belong where I am, I've won six tournaments (last year) and beaten the top players."
