Caroline Wozniacki and Elina Svitolina will be the main stars at the 2024 ASB Classic in Auckland, and they will meet already in the first round of the WTA 250 tournament.
The ASB Classic in Auckland is the only top-tier tennis tournament to be held in New Zealand, and this year’s draw in the women’s tournament has thrown up the most exciting curtain-raiser to an event in the opening week of the new season.
In her second coming as a tennis player, Caroline Wozniacki will face Elina Svitolina, the number two seed in Auckland. The match is slated to appear on Tuesday’s Order of Play. One of their most endearing similarities is that they are two returning mothers.
Wozniacki memorably retired from professional tennis back in 2020 before taking a U-turn on that decision. She announced her shocking return to the tour last summer, playing in three tournaments during the US swing and performing admirably.
Wozniacki is a mother of two and is married to former NBA All-Star David Lee, her husband of four years. Her daughter Olivia and son James are the Dane’s little fans and certainly one of the reasons she has found fuel in her return to tennis.
Svitolina, a former World No. 3 and married to ATP star Gael Monfils, gave birth to her first child – Skai Monfils – in October 2022, having initially taken an indefinite break from tennis. The Ukrainian spoke of her intention to rejoin the tour while her country was embroiled in war.
In April 2023, Svitolina made her emotional return and vowed to send some positivity back to Ukraine with the time she spent in court. Svitolina won a title less than two months after returning when she lifted the Strasbourg 250.
Svitolina made the quarterfinals of Roland Garros and the semifinals of Wimbledon – two achievements that underpinned her 2023 campaign. After starting as an unranked player, she rose to World No. 25 by the season’s end. She was named the 2023 Comeback Player of the Year.
Svitolina and Wozniacki have played five times on the WTA tour, with the Ukrainian leading the Dane 4-1. However, they last played each other on tour in 2018 at the WTA Finals.
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