TheSportsCampus

Date of Birth: July 11, 1990
Birthplace: Odense, Denmark
Current Residence: Monte Carlo, Monaco

Height: 5′9½" (1.77 m)
Weight: 128 lbs (58 kg)
Plays: Right-handed / Two-handed backhand
Status: Pro (2005)

Career
Current Ranking: 9
Prize Money: $ 1,844,792
Win Loss Record - Singles: 148-61
Win Loss Record - Doubles: 25-38

Born to Polish parents who were amazing professional athletes, it comes as little surprise that Caroline Wozniacki came up trumps in whichever sport she chose to turn into a passion. With a tennis racquet as her weapon of choice, she quickly rose to the top of the junior rankings, and fulfilled her potential by winning Junior WImbledon at age 16. Now ranked in the top 10 on the WTA Tour, this young sportstar has a career of greatness ahead of her.  TheSportsCampus.com had the privilege to catch up with her on the sidelines of Wimbledon:

 

TSC: Coming from a family of professional athletes you had exposure to several sports at a very young age. What made you choose tennis?

Caroline: When I was younger my older brother was playing tennis so I just tried it one day and even though I wasn't very good I fell in love with the game.

 

TSC: A lot of great juniors don't necessarily make the grade on the senior tour, where did/does your motivation come from?

Caroline: Well I think I have always been motivated and for me it was just the next step after winning Junior Wimbledon and being ranked #1 in the world at one time.

 

TSC: How important/significant for you was winning the Junior Championships at Wimbledon in 2006? How has it impacted your performance at other events?

Caroline: It was really great to win the Junior Wimbledon Championships and it gave me a lot of confidence in the juniors and when I started playing on the pro tour.

 

TSC: Do you prepare differently for the Grand Slams? Is there a mental side to your preparation?

Caroline: Yes, there is definitely a mental side to your preparation for the Grand Slams because you want to make sure that you are fresh and not worn out or tired because the Grand Slams are two weeks long and you play a lot of matches. You want to make sure you aren't too tired going into them too.

 

TSC: Who do you think is your toughest opponent on the women's circuit?

Caroline: I think there are a lot of tough opponents on the women's tour right now. You have some of the girls at the very top like Safina and the Williams who are always really tough, but you also have some young up-and-comers like Victoria Azarenka who are really good as well.

 

TSC: Which is your most memorable match to date?

Caroline: Well I have had a lot of memorable matches, but I think recently playing in the final of Madrid against Safina was a good one because that was the week I broke into the top 10 and we had a nice award ceremony with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

 

TSC: Which is your favourite surface, what did you grow up playing on?

Caroline: I like all of the surfaces, and I grew up playing on the red clay and hard court.

 

TSC: How does it feel to be among the top 10 players in the world?

Caroline: It feels great! It was one of my goals in my career and starting this year and I am just so happy to have reached it.

 

TSC: What are your professional ambitions?

Caroline: Well of course like the other girls on the tour we all want to win Grand Slams and be #1 so these are definitely some of my goals as well that I am working towards.

 

TSC: Do you have a role model in tennis? Any other sporting heroes?

Caroline: Yes, I love Steffi Graf and earlier this year got to stay with her and Andre in Las Vegas when I was training in the U.S. My parents are also two people I look up to a lot because they were two very good professional athletes as well.

 

TSC: At what age did you begin training for this sport? How many hours a day do you spend on training now that you are a professional?

Caroline: I started playing when I was real young around 6 or 7, but really started training when I was 9. Now I train about 2 hours in the morning and an hour or two in the afternoon and then do fitness.

 

TSC: Do you follow a strict / specific diet plan? Any regular exercise / relaxation regime that you follow apart from training?

Caroline: I don't follow too strict of a diet, but I make sure to eat really healthy and so that I have enough energy for my matches and training. Apart from training, I get massages to help with the recovery of my muscles but since I train so much I don't do too much exercising when I am resting.

 

TSC: Has interest in tennis increased in Denmark after you came into the limelight?

Caroline: Yes I think so. I have a lot of fans and supporters in Denmark and the tv networks cover a lot of the tournaments I play in which is really great and helps make tennis more popular in Denmark.