Finishing the 2014 season as the eighth-ranked player in the world, Caroline Wozniacki began last season seeded first in the ASB Classic in Auckland. Here, she produced one of her best results of the season, advancing to the final before losing in three sets to Venus Williams. Despite this encouraging result, however, she struggled to defeat players ranked outside of the top 100, an unusual feat for a player of her caliber.
Wozniacki 2015 season overview
Moving forward, she found herself unable to pass through the second round in three out of the four annual major championships—the Australian Open, the French Open, and the U.S. Open. At her final event of the year and forced to withdraw due to injury, Wozniacki finished her season ranked 17th in the world, her worst year-end ranking since 2007.
Photo Courtesy: Getty Images Sport | Mark Kolbe
Unfortunate start to 2016
In January, Wozniacki returned to Auckland’s ASB Classic with finalist points to defend; upon producing an impressive semifinal result, the tennis community became optimistic about a possible resurgence. This hope, unfortunately, was deflated when she lost in the first round of the Australian Open: her worst career performance at the tournament.
Moving forward
After unfortunate series of events—including multiple injuries and a ranking drop—the Dane has decided to make some alterations to her training team. David Kotyza, former coach of two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, will join her coaching staff as a part-time influence. On his new partnership with the former world number one, Kotzya noted, “Caroline’s results have been worse than her game. She likely [is] lack[ing] a bit of self-confidence… Part of my job will be to fix that.” Thus far, Wozniacki has had some difficulties managing a long-term relationship with her coaches, with many believing that the “unwieldy influence” of her father is to blame.
Photo Courtesy: Getty Images Sport | Mark Kolbe
Final thoughts
Nevertheless, if Wozniacki is able to connect with Kotzya, who has plans of improving the technical aspects of her game, she will be certain to see an improvement in her confidence. “[Caroline]’s a great warrior and fighter, and when I see her working on the practise court, I’m positive she can get back to the top ten,” Kotyza observed. Perhaps, if Koytza is able to instill some much-needed confidence in Wozniacki, she will begin to see a turnaround in her match results. At just 25 years old, she has a long career ahead, with plenty of opportunities to rise to the top once again.