Almost in denial, a defiant Caroline Wozniacki vowed to rebound and reclaim the world No.1 ranking after being dethroned at the Australian Open on Tuesday.
Defending champion Kim Clijsters’ 6-3 7-6 quarter-final victory over Wozniacki ended the Dane’s 67-week reign and left Czech Petra Kvitova, Belarusian Victoria Azarenka and Russian Maria Sharapova in a three-way battle for the top spot.
Despite failing in five grand slam tournaments to validate her top ranking and coming under attack from tennis legend Martina Navratilova, Wozniacki was unconcerned about losing her status and maintained she’d always been deserving of No.1.
“To be honest, I don’t really think about it. I have been there for a long time already. I finished No.1 two years in a row,” she said.
“In the end of the year, you see who has played the best, most consistently all year-round. We are just in January.
“So I will get it back eventually, so I’m not worried.”
Wozniacki insisted she still had a long career ahead of her to win majors.
“I start laughing every time because the media talks to me like I’m finishing my career and I only have one year left and time is running out,” she said.
“The fact is I still have quite a few good years in front of me. I still improve.
“I still have a number of Australians and a number of US Opens and Wimbledons and French Opens left.
“I will definitely do my best and try to win one or even more.
“In the end of the day, you can just do your best. You can’t do anything more than that.
“If your best is good enough, that’s great. If not, then it’s just too good from the other person.
“I will come back not only once but more times.”
Ironically, Clijsters was the last player to hold the No.1 ranking – for a week after winning last year’s Australian Open – before Wozniacki took over.
Wozniacki’s dethroning will at least please Navratilova, who on Sunday claimed the grand slam maiden was unworthy of the crown.
“Clearly nobody feels that Wozniacki is a true No.1,” the 18-times major winner said.
“If we still had the same ranking system we were using six years ago when they were giving bonus points for beating players, Kvitova would have ended up No.1 because she had beaten more top players than Wozniacki.”
Wimbledon champion Kvitova now has the inside running in the race to No.1, but Azarenka and Sharapova are both also assured of top spot if they lift the trophy in Melbourne on Saturday night.
Azarenka is already through to the Open semis after beating Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska 6-7 (0-7) 6-0 6-2 on Tuesday, while Kvitova and Sharapova need to win their quarter-finals on Wednesday to stay in the hunt.
Kvitova faces unseeded Italian Sara Errani while Sharapova faces unseeded countrywoman Ekaterina Makarova.
The second-ranked Kvitova could yet rise to No.1 if she makes the final and loses to Clijsters, who plays Azarenka in the semi-finals on Thursday.
