Next week’s New Haven Open in Connecticut will be without one of their most loyal players.
For the first time since 2007, Caroline Wozniacki will not be playing at the Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center. The former world No.1 once dominated the tournament, winning four titles between 2008-2011. An achievement that has only been matched by Venus Williams. New Haven is the only tournament where the Dane has won the title three or more times.
Wozniacki’s links with the tournament are highlighted by its director Anne Worcester. During an interview with The Hartford Courant, Worcester revelled she has sent a good luck text to 27-year-old ahead of the US Open later this month.
“I sent her a text (Thursday) morning, I said, ‘Good luck today in your third round,’ Worcester said. “The tournament starts tomorrow and for the first time in 10 years, you won’t be here. It will be strange. Good luck the rest of the way.’ She wrote me back a really nice text.'”
The New Haven is the final tournament to take place before Flushing Meadows. Some players choose to skip the event in order to prepare for New York. Still, it has managed to attract five top 20 players to join the field this season. Including three-time champion Petra Kvitova and Current champion Agnieszka Radwanska.
Maria Sharapova was also a target of the tournament, who wanted to award her a wild card. According to Worcester, her management was contacted about the opportunity, but she declined to the close proximity to the US Open. Sharapova is also currently nursing a forearm injury.
Taking the wild card’s instead will be Sloane Stephens and Eugenie Bouchard. Two players that have been praised by the tournament director. Although she regrets not being able to reward others due to the WTA’s wild card policy.
“I’m very happy with [Stephens and Bouchard],” Worcester stated. “I just wish I could give one of the top 20 wild cards to Ostapenko and [Magdalena] Rybarikova, who was a finalist here [in 2014]. She deserves it. And you hate to say no to the French Open champion, but there’s there’s these rules.”
The year marks the 49th anniversary of the Connecticut Open and the 20th consecutive year it has been hosted in New Haven.
