Former world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki has been forced to pull out of the Dubai Tennis Championships following the return of a viral illness.
Wozniacki, who was set to play Stephanie Vögele in her opening match, announced her withdrawal on Monday. Wozniacki hasn’t played a competitive match since her third round loss at the Australian Open last month. She was also forced out of the Doha Open last week due to illness.
“It sucks, if we’re being honest,” Wozniacki said during a press conference. “I prepared, I’ve gotten ready to play these two weeks, and two weeks I usually play well in. It’s two hard-court tournaments. They fit my game well. It’s good speed for my game.
“I was hoping that maybe taking a little bit of time to myself and just trying to recover, I was hoping I was going to be ready to play today. I just wasn’t.”
Last year the 28-year-old discovered that she has rheumatoid arthritis. A condition that causes pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints. The condition can also cause fatigue, weight loss and fever for some people. In a recent interview Wozniacki’s father and coach, Piotr, said he was unsure how long she will continue playing due to the unpredictability of the autoimmune disorder.
“I think it’s a normal flu situation. But it is clear that when you have a rheumatic disease, your immune system does not work optimally. So it takes longer to recover from these things,” Wozniacki told Danish outlet TV2.
Wozniacki is aiming to be fit in time for the two Premier tournaments taking place in America during March in Indian Wells and Miami. Due to her recent absence, she has fallen out of the world’s top 10 for the first time since May 2017. Her current ranking is 14th.
“I’m getting better slowly. I’m just getting over it. But there’s still a ways to go. I’m just taking it day by day. Just have to try to be smart about it.” She said.
“I just have to stay positive, try and do everything in my power to get better. Then Indian Wells and Miami are right around the corner, but thankfully not right around the corner. I’m hoping to be 100 per cent for both of those. I’ll just go out there and do my best.”
Since the start of the year, Wozniacki has managed to play five matches on the tour in Auckland and Melbourne.
