Aryna
Sabalenka expressed her thoughts on
Caroline Wozniacki's return to the WTA tour
after more than two years.
The Danish
tennis player announced a few weeks ago that she would make her comeback in the
professional circuit, which will be realized at the WTA
Canadian Open this
Tuesday when she debuts against Australian player Kimberly Barrell.
World No. 2
Aryna Sabalenka shared her surprise and joy upon learning about Wozniacki's
return. They have played against each other three times, with Wozniacki
securing a victory in the final of the 2018 Eastbourne Open and Sabalenka
clinching two wins in the 2018 Canadian Open and 2019 Eastbourne Open.
"I was
surprised & super happy. I felt like 'Ok, you can have a private life, have
kids, & come back.' It's important for all of us. We sacrifice a lot. To
have examples of people who come back & show there's a way, it's really
inspiring," Sabalenka said about Wozniacki.
The 2018
Australian Open champion got married in 2019 to David Lee, a former NBA player,
and they welcomed their son in June 2022 while Wozniacki was already taking a
break from the courts for more than a year.
Wozniacki
has been preparing for months to return to the highest level and has reportedly
been training with Simona Halep and Donna Vekic, whom she allegedly defeated
6-1 in a training set.
As a former
world No. 1, Wozniacki received a wild card from the organization to enter the
main draw in Toronto. She has a successful history in Canada, having won the
title in 2010 by defeating Vera Zvonareva and reaching the final in 2017, where
she was defeated by Ukrainian player Elina Svitolina.
As for
Sabalenka, she entered the tournament as the second seed, granting her
exemption in the first round, and she awaits the winner of the match between
Petra Martic and Ukrainian qualifier Lesia Tsurenko
