Scan Magazine

By Cecilie Jacobsen | Photo: Zairbek Mansurov

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She is only 19 years old but has come a long way in the international world of tennis. Caroline Wozniacki from Denmark is currently the third ranked female tennis player in the world and right now she is training hard to be in top shape for Wimbledon later this month.

Most people who make it big in the world of sports start early: Caroline started playing tennis at the age of seven and when she was 14 she won the singles title in the Osaka Mayor’s Cup in Japan in October 2004. And her career as a professional tennis player really took off when in 2006 she won the girls’ single Wimbledon tournament. Since then her tennis career has grown steadily: Caroline has played in the big tournaments such as French Open, Australian Open and US Open. Currently she is the only Danish woman in the Top 500 on the Women’s Tennis Association Tour ( WTA). She has won seven WTA Tour events and was the runner up at the 2009 US Open.

Caroline Wozniacki was born in the town of Odense on the island of Funen in ­Denmark and is the daughter of Polish parents Anne and Piotr Wozniacki. Her father has been her coach for many years and Caroline is not the only sporty person in the family: her brother Patrik is a professional football player for BK Frem in Denmark.

And Caroline is more than tennis.  She is also a successful business woman having launched her own beauty products, amongst them shampoos, lotions and scrubs. The series is called “Caroline Wozniacki – Love All” and Caroline has very much been a part of developing the line herself, which includes green tea and is free of parabens. Furthermore she was made the exclusive new face of the Stella McCartney tennis line for Adidas in 2009 and has a long line of sponsors behind her including Adidas, Sony Ericson and Danske Invest.

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Scan Magazine caught up with the busy Dane and had a chat with her about Wimbledon, her perfect day off and her favourite destinations in the world.

What are your thoughts on Wimbledon?
I have great memories of Wimbledon from when I was a junior, so I am really excited to go back there again this year. I think that Wimbledon is sacred. Its atmosphere is unique and it is a one of a kind experience to play there. Every time I walk out on the court to play a match, I feel that I am a part of a long standing tradition.

You previously won the Wimbledon girls’ tournament. What would it mean to you to win the senior tournament?
I would love to win a Grand Slam event one day; this is what I am working for. Winning in Wimbledon would be a dream come true for me, as I really like the event.

You have just had an ankle injury. Will you be in top shape for Wimbledon?
My ankle has been bothering me these past few weeks, and I was not able to play the way I would have liked to. My footwork is one of my weapons, so not being able to run around so much really hurt my game. I still do a lot of rehabbing exercises just to make sure that my ankle will be as good as new by the time the grass court season rolls around. I am very confident that I won’t have any problems with it for the start of Wimbledon.

Do you prefer to play on grass or clay?
My favourite surface is hard, but I have nothing against grass or clay either. I have proved it to myself that I can play really well on any surface.

Do you think there are any up-coming Scandinavian tennis talents that will make it to the top in the future?
Tennis has become more popular in Denmark since I started becoming a little more known. I am not so sure about the current state of Scandinavian junior tennis, but I am sure that there are a lot of talented players out there. The only advice I would like to give them is, don’t  be afraid to follow your dreams. Be tenacious and put in the necessary work with all your heart, then you have a chance to make it.

Have you tasted Wimbledon’s famous strawberries?
I love Wimbledon strawberries and cream and I am looking forward to having some again this year. They are also part of the charm of Wimbledon.

What is it like to be on the road so much?
Living out of a suitcase sometimes gets very tiring. It is also very hard to keep in touch with friends and family, but luckily I have some great friends on the Tour and my parents often travel with me as well. I often miss my brother though. He lives in Copenhagen, and his schedule is also really busy, so we don’t see each other as much as we would like. After several weeks on the road, I am always looking forward to spending some time at home.

You have been working hard to get where you are today. Did you have time to be a normal teenager as well?
It depends on what you consider normal. To me, waking up in the morning and going to practise twice a day was normal. Sweating in a gym or doing extra cardio workouts to get better was an ordinary practice. This is, however, not to say that I don’t like hanging out with my friends in the mall, or go to the movies occasionally. I do not really like parties; I don’t drink, so missing out on going out was not a big sacrifice for me ­either. I love playing tennis, so missing out on a few things doesn’t really matter ­because I get so much in return.

Do you have time for a boyfriend?
The press really likes to report that I have a new boyfriend every week. Truth is, I don’t. I don’t really have time for it right now, plus I really prefer to keep my private life just private.

How do you spend a day off?
If it is a day off from tennis, then I like to stay in bed a little longer than usual. I often go for a jog in the morning, and then have a big brunch. If I don’t have any commitments for that day, I usually meet up with my girlfriends and we catch up over a coffee/hot chocolate. We often make it to the movies, and we sometimes go shopping.

What do you like to do when you are in London?
London is a great city and I hope it won’t rain as much as it usually does. I like the shopping scene; I absolutely love the ­London Eye, and I even went to the waxworks museum a few years ago. I think London is a very historic city. Even though I am not really big on fish, I try to eat fish and chips at least once when I am there just to get the British experience.

You have travelled around the world ­several times – what is your favourite ­destination?
I like New York because it has a great vibe, Melbourne because of the weather and the friendly people there, Doha and Dubai because of the atmosphere, Paris because of the shopping, London because of its tradition and Warsaw because I have family there, but my favourite city in the world is Copenhagen.

Where do you see yourself 20 years from now?
I hope that people will remember me as not only a great player but as a great person.

Here at Scan Magazine we have opened a bet on who will win Wimbledon – what are the odds that it will be you?
You know, I always say that until the last ball is played at a tournament, everyone has a chance to win it. I would like to take it one match at a time, and we will see what happens. As long as I am confident with my game, I have a chance to do really well in Wimbledon.