Women's world No 1 title up for grabs as Caroline Wozniacki eyes return to the top ahead of US Open

At the end of this month there is a chance that the 27-year-old Dane will head to Flushing Meadows as the world No 1 for the first time in more than five years

The Dane has won more matches (46) than any other player on the women’s tour this year (Getty)

Her comeback might not have been as successful as those of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal when measured in tournament triumphs and Grand Slam titles, but in world ranking terms Caroline Wozniacki could be on the brink of an achievement to outdo both the Swiss and the Spaniard.

Twelve months ago Wozniacki went into the US Open ranked No 74 in the world. She had not reached a final for 18 months and speculation had been mounting over whether she might even be contemplating retirement.

At the end of this month, however, there is a chance that the 27-year-old Dane will head to Flushing Meadows as the world No 1 for the first time in more than five years. She has won more matches (46) than any other player on the women’s tour this year.

If these are changing times at the top of men’s tennis - Andy Murray’s nine-month reign as world No 1 will be ended next week by Nadal, who looks certain to have Federer breathing down his neck in the weeks to come - there is even more fluidity at the top of the women’s game.

Wozniacki is one of five players who could top the rankings at the end of this week’s tournament in Cincinnati in what for each of them will be their last appearance before the US Open, which begins in 13 days’ time.

Karolina Pliskova, who rose to No 1 last month, currently has a lead of 790 points at the top of the rankings list, but the 25-year-old Czech is defending 900 points in Cincinnati and could be replaced at the summit by Simona Halep, Angelique Kerber, Elina Svitolina or Wozniacki.

Halep, who was opening her Cincinnati campaign against Taylor Townsend later today and has been vying with Pliskova for top spot in recent weeks, is best placed to take advantage of any slip-up by the current No 1, but Svitolina, Wozniacki and Kerber could all have a chance.

Wozniacki could top the rankings by the end of the week (Getty)

Wozniacki thinks the key to her success this year has been avoiding injuries and not pushing herself so hard in training.

“I think I've learned to tone down some of the work-outs and really just tailor it to my body,” she said. “Everyone wants to stay young. Although I’m not old, I’ve been on tour for many years and the body can’t handle the same things it used to when I was 18 or 19. So I just had to really think of that.

“I also had some time to just be at home and enjoy spending some time with friends and family and then came back and was recharged.”

Wozniacki, who spent 67 weeks at the top of the world rankings between October 2010 and January 2012, said: “I think everyone wants to be No 1. That’s everyone’s dream. If it happens, it happens and I will be very happy obviously. But if it doesn’t, then that’s OK too. I just try and play my best and do my best.

“I’ve obviously been there before and it would be awesome to go back, but it’s not something that I’m really thinking too much about. I just think about the tournament that I’m playing at this moment.”

The Dane spent 76 weeks at the top of the ranking between 2010 and 2012 (Getty)

During her time at the top Wozniacki grew used to the jibes about her being world No 1 without a Grand Slam title to her name. She also became accustomed to the pressures, which were brought home to her when she lost a final to Vera Zvonareva, then the world No 3, not long after moving into top spot.

“At my press conference my first question was: ‘You must be extremely disappointed. How does it feel losing to someone who’s lower ranked than you?’

“I was like: ‘Is that a serious question or are you actually just joking right now? If you haven’t noticed, everyone is lower ranked than me at the moment.’

“You just have to go with it and enjoy it and just laugh at some of the comments you get along the way.”

However, Wozniacki added: “I was actually just really enjoying it. It’s a dream come true. It’s something that I had dreamed of since I was a little girl.”


 Wozniacki learnt how to dismiss the jibes she faced as world No 1 
 (Getty)

In the absence of Serena Williams, who has not played since revealing after winning the Australian Open in January that she was pregnant, the major honours in women’s tennis have been showered around like confetti.

Jelena Ostapenko and Garbine Muguruza won the two subsequent Grand Slam tournaments, but those are the only titles won this year by the Latvian and the Spaniard, who have yet to demonstrate the consistency to go alongside their ability to rise to the big occasion. Meanwhile Kerber, who began 2017 as world No 1, has reached only one final in her 15 tournaments so far this year.

The most consistent performers of the season so far other than Wozniacki have been Svitolina, who has won five titles already, and Pliskova, who has won three.

Svitolina became the first woman ever to win three “Premier 5” titles in a single year when she took the title last week in Toronto, where she beat Venus Williams, Muguruza, Halep and Wozniacki in successive matches. The “Premier 5” tournaments are the biggest events below Grand Slam level.

Elina Svitolina has enjoyed a consistent season like Wozniacki (Getty)

The 22-year-old Ukrainian, who also won in Dubai and Rome, has never gone beyond the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam tournament but is the youngest player in the world’s top 10.

She has strong British connections. Formerly coached by Iain Hughes, Svitolina now works with another Briton, Andrew Bettles, and the Frenchman, Thierry Ascione. Her fitness coach, Oliver Fawls, is British and her boyfriend is Reece Topley, the Hampshire and England fast bowler.

Pliskova, who is seeded to meet Wozniacki in the Cincinnati quarter-finals, insists that nothing has changed for her since she became world No 1 after Wimbledon, but over the next month her mental strength will be tested.

Having lost to Wozniacki in the quarter-finals in Toronto last week, the Czech will be under pressure to perform in both Cincinnati and New York, where she was champion and runner-up respectively last year. If she falters, there will be no shortage of players wanting to step into her shoes.