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OLYMPUS U.S. OPEN SERIES MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 8, 2011

Caroline Wozniacki

TIM CURRY: Thank you everyone for joining us today, and thanks to Caroline for taking the time to talk with us.
In addition to being the No. 1 player in the WTA rankings, Caroline is the reigning US Open Series women's champion. She is joining us from the Rogers Cup in Toronto where she's the defending champion, and where she has a practice court in about 30 minutes.
So we'll have about 15 minutes with her, and we want to give our apologies to anyone who has questions in queue if we don't get to you before time runs out.
She is also scheduled to play next week in Cincinnati at the Western & Southern Open and at the New Haven Open at Yale where she has a 14-0 record and winning the title for each of the past three years.
Caroline, why don't you start off telling us how you feel going into the Series defending all these titles.
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yeah, very excited to go into the US Open Series. I feel like I've been practicing for quite sometime now, so I'm really excited to be back here. I feel very good on the hardcourts.
So, yeah, it's an exciting part of the season. I played very well there last year. You know, I have very good memories. So it'll be fun, a fun challenge.
TIM CURRY: We'll start the Q and A.

Q. Let me ask a couple quick questions. First of all, did you watch Serena play in Stanford a week ago at all? And do you feel like there is any buzz about her return and the way she's playing? She obviously played so well there.
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: To be honest, I didn't really watch tennis while I was practicing. Yeah, I had a lot of things just going on and I was pretty busy.
Serena must obviously have been playing very well winning a tournament again. It's nice to see her back. It's always great to have a great champion back on tour and doing well.

Q. When you come off a relatively long break after a major, especially this one coming from grass to hardcourts, what will you be looking for from your game the first couple tournaments, first couple of matches even, that you play?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I'm just looking forward to get a few matches under my belt. Yeah, I always feel like I play better once I start going. So I'm just going to start looking for trying to get everything that I've been practicing on into the matches.
Yeah, just try to put a little bit of things to my game, small changes, but that maybe can make a big difference in the end.

Q. You've had great success in New Haven: three straight championships, an undefeated record. What is it about that venue and that city that you really just seem to have a great time there?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I think it's great to play in New Haven. It's a very good atmosphere there, and I really enjoy every time I'm there. It feels like a home tournament and feels like people are really appreciating the tennis.
So it's just a fun week to be participating in.

Q. Looking forward to flirting with the Yale football team again?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: (Laughter.) It will be great. You know, I never complain having 100 guys standing around me, so that'll definitely be fun.

Q. I was just curious what you felt about the new women's-only format at New Haven, if you like that or just how you feel about that.
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Well, um, we have to see how everything is going to be. But, you know, I usually like the combined events, but, you know, I'm just happy that the tournament is still there and that I'm able to participate again this year.
Again, it's one of my favorite tournaments, so I'm just happy that the women could stay there and keep playing.

Q. How does the atmosphere in New York for the US Open compare to other majors? Do you enjoy that atmosphere at the Open?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I really think it's a great atmosphere. I love New York and I love the atmosphere there. It's very intense.
To play, I mean, on center court with 23,000 people watching you, especially the night session, that's an amazing feeling. That's what you're training for.

Q. My first question was answered earlier. It had to do with the change in New Haven. But my second question is many of the world's top WTA players don't play in New Haven. They seem to take a break before the US Open. I wondered if you could comment on why you play or started to play. I know you enjoy it now, but why you felt it was important to play that tournament. You know, we're just hoping more players in the future continue to come there.
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Well, for me. Of course it's an individual sports so everyone makes their own decisions. But for me it's always been a great lead-up for the US Open and get some matches and get used to all the conditions.
I can always practice there any time, and it's just more calm. I like to have a calm week before the Grand Slam.

Q. You talked about making small changes. Can you expand on that? What have you been working on?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Just a little bit of everything: the serve, the returns, just some footwork. It's just small things really. (Laughter.)

Q. My question for you is going into this particular tournament, how do you feel physically? Are you 100%?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yeah, I feel very good physically. I feel like I've had some good practice weeks. Yeah, I'm feeling ready to go.

Q. I know that you won in Montreal last year; now going to Toronto, do you have a preference as to which city you play in? Do you like one city more than the other?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Well, I like both cities. I think it's great -- obviously since I won in Montreal last year it brings back good memories to be there.

Q. Petra Kvitova, like Victoria Azarenka and Yanina Wickmayer and a few others, is about your age. Is she one of the players you could see yourself having rivalry with, say, five years from now?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Well, you know, I think we' have a lot of young ones coming up and playing well, high in the rankings. Definitely those girls are the ones I think we're going to see a lot in the future.
It's just great to see girls that you've been playing with in the juniors doing well o the main tour as well.

Q. I forgot to ask before, but I was cover La Costa yesterday, and Aggie, who I believe you and she are good friends, won down there and played really well all week even with a sore shoulder. Could you talk about what - maybe you didn't watch - but did you hear about her result? Have you talked to her since she won?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I haven't actually seen her since she won. I'm sure I will today or tomorrow. It's just nice to see her win again.
You know, to have a tournament title is always a great boost for your confidence. It's always nice to see her do well.

Q. Can something like that send a player on a little streak where like she gets to the Open with confidence she might not have had with a couple of third-round losses or something?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Well, definitely. It always gives you confidence winning a tournament. And especially leading up to the US Open and playing on the same surfaces, it's definitely a good thing.

Q. And I'm talking to Kim in a few minutes. She's introducing a new vitamin supplement. Do you have any new products or clothes or anything that we don't know about yet?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: No, not really. Not right now.
TIM CURRY: Again, thanks everyone for joining us. I think with the limited time everybody was real quick with their questions or held from asking.
Caroline, thanks for your time. I hope you make your practice court. Again, we will be sending a transcript of this after the call from the USTA account before the end of the day.
Thanks again, and watch all the action in Canada this week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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