'No regrets' as Wozniacki embarks on swansong at Australian Open

Caroline Wozniacki said Saturday that she has no regrets and it is "the right time" to walk away from tennis with the former number one set to retire after the Australian Open.

But the Dane, whose only Grand Slam triumph came in Melbourne in 2018, admitted that she will be "a bit emotional" when the moment finally comes over the next fortnight.

Wozniacki announced in December that she would retire from tennis to focus on other things, including starting a family with husband and former NBA star David Lee.

"There's been a lot of thoughts. It's (retirement) been something I've been thinking about for a long time, for a while," the 29-year-old, now ranked 35 in the world, told media in Melbourne.

"I just looked at my life, at my career, everything else, and I just had a look inside of myself and it felt right. It felt like the right time for many reasons." Wozniacki was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in 2018 but says that has nothing to do with her decision to quit after the Australian Open, which begins on Monday.

The Dane, who begins her final tournament against Kristie Ahn of the United States, added: "I've achieved a lot, I've given it my all.

"Every single day I go out and I work so hard to stay at the top or to get back to the top, whatever it may be.

"It doesn't feel the same. I still want to work hard, but I want to do something different."
- Clijsters warning -
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"I think tennis has changed in seven years. I don't think it's as easy -- I don't know if she thinks it's easy -- I know it's not as easy as it looks from the outside."