Caroline Wozniacki retirement: Serena Williams, Roger Federer & others pay classy tribute

Caroline Wozniacki has announced retirement from professional tennis after second round defeat at the Australian Open. Wozniacki, who started her tennis career as an unseeded wildcard in 2005, went on to firmly establish herself as one of tennis' greats. Following her announcement, fellow tennis stars paid tribute to Wozniacki’s talent, recounting her prowess on the court.

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Caroline Wozniacki retirement: Watch Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka and other tennis stars pay tribute

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Caroline Wozniacki retirement: Serena Williams calls the Dane her best friend

World No. 9 Serena Williams called Wozniacki her best friend. Serena went on to say that she would sourly miss Wozniacki on the tour. The US tennis star said that her friend was doing what makes her happy and that's all that matters. Current Women’s World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty thanked Wozniacki for being an incredible competitor who did not hesitate to help her opponent on and off the court. She hailed Wozniacki for giving her 100% to the game and wished her a happy retirement.

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Caroline Wozniacki retirement: Novak Djokovic gives best wishes to former World No 1

World No. 2 Novak Djokovic said he did not know how to say goodbye to Wozniacki. He said that he would miss Caroline Wozniacki on the tour and wished her the best in her future endeavours. Meanwhile, World No. 1 Rafael Nadal said that though everybody would love to watch her play tennis, he understood her desire to retire. He noted that Wozniacki deserved to rest and hoped to see her around.

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Caroline Wozniacki retirement: Simona Halep shares her experience

Simona Halep, whom Wozniacki defeated to win her sole Grand Slam, said that losing the 2018 Australian Open to her was a bad memory. She, however, said that she cherished that memory because Wozniacki was an amazing competitor and taught her a few things on the court. She wished the retiring player and her husband David a happy life. World No. 2 Karolina Pliskova kept it simple by saying that she was sad to see Wozniacki call it a day and wished the former World No. 1 a happy new life.

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Caroline Wozniacki retirement: Federer congratulates

Roger Federer recounted an instance when he had to wait for his game because Wozniacki’s match ran long. The World No. 3 said that he didn’t mind waiting as it was always fun to watch her play. Federer congratulated Wozniacki for a fantastic career including her win at the Australian Open. In his tribute, the Swiss thanked Wozniacki for her contribution to tennis.

For Naomi Osaka, Wozniacki was the first A-list Tennis player with whom she practised. Naomi Osaka said that she was nervous about visiting the player at her home and hit the ball. Naomi Osaka said that since their first meeting, they had come a long way, developing a professional and personal bond. She wished Wozniacki a fun retirement. 

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