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HUAJIN SECURITIES WTA ELITE TROPHY ZHUHAI

November 5, 2015

Caroline Wozniacki

Zhuhai, China

S. KUZNETSOVA/C. Wozniacki
7‑5, 2‑2 (ret.)

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Obviously a tough decision to retire today. Talk about the injury. Did you come in with it? What's your status for the rest of the tournament, do you think?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: No, I came into the tournament healthy, and then just things start falling apart. I cut myself the first day on my finger pretty deep. I can't hold my racquet properly, so that went over to my wrist. Just a few things.
You know, I thought I was going to able to play today, but just got worse. When I can't hit my backhand properly that's a problem. I just started feeling a lot of pain.
So it's been really, really frustrating, shitty half of the second year, orsecond half of the year.
Basically just been falling apart physically with the knee and back and leg and wrist.
It's sad, because I've been‑‑ I came here and it's like I'm going to finish of the year strong. To come here and only play half a match is really disappointing. It's a long way, and I wanted to finish off the year well.
It is what it is. I'm just going to take some time off and do some recovery and build up my body so I can be strong enough for the whole season next year.

Q. You're not the only person that's kind of had these sorts of injuries. Quite a few of the other players like Ana or a few others were like, yeah, after the US Open they were already looking forward to the off‑season knowing that you needed kind of a break to build things up. Wondering if that's been at all your thought process as well? Do you anticipate that this off‑season will be heavier than maybe the one last year because you had the marathon and all that last year?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: You know, to be honest with you, I think I'm such a competitor and I always want to play because that's what I love to do.
Sometimes it's hard to just say stop and take‑‑ give your body time to heal. I think the older I get the more I need to realize that I can't just go out there and play and do things like that when I'm not 100%, because it's just going to do thing worse.
It was different when I was younger. Yeah you have a little bit of pain here or there and it would go away like this. Just doesn't happen anymore. I just think I need to realize that.
Next year is a huge year with the four slams obviously, but also the Olympics. That's a year I want to do really well in.
Yeah, I just need to take a breather right now. Right now in my head it's like frustration and disappointment. You know, just a lot of things happening.
I just need to take a breath, and then next year hopefully it's going to be a great one. I know when I'm healthy I can play on the highest level. I'm definitely going to put a lot into my off‑season, and hopefully I can start off the year strong and fit and healthy.

Q. We're used to seeing you play a pretty heavy schedule, and as you were saying, that is how your career has always been. You like to play tournaments. Looking at next yeah, are we going to see you play a more limited schedule, or is it more just a matter of listening to your body when the niggles come, but you'll still play kind of the same load?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: To be honest with you, I haven't really thought too much about next year's schedule. I know my plans a little bit. I think next year obviously is more of a free thing. I can do whatever I want. I think I'm just going to, yeah, try and peak at the right moments and make sure that I have enough matches under my belt for the slams, but also that I don't overdo myself.
The way the WTA and the rankings are done now is that if you do well in the big tournaments you just have to do like two good results and you're going to be in the top of the game.
So for me, that's what I'm going to aim for next year. You know, just obviously I want to win everything, but peak at the right moments.

Q. The way that you finished the season last year, I can only assume that you're a little frustrated by not being able to carry this momentum through the season. So just how frustrating, I guess, was that on the whole? Secondly, has there ever been a discussion between you and your father or physio about the marathon and whether or not the training may have kind of impacted your body a little bit more than expected?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: No. That had nothing to do with it. I had a good first half of the year. I was healthy and playing well and I played some of my best tennis, especially on the clay season. I played some great tennis.
I hurt my back in Eastbourne and kind of played through Wimbledon and it was all right. I could kind of manage that. Then took some time off to recover and get treatments and stuff.
First training back I hurt my calf, so US Open Series is the time when I love to play and where I play my best tennis normally. Not being able to do that was frustrating.
Then US Open a little bit unlucky and a little bit my opponent played well, a little bit of everything having match points and not winning that. From there kind of I had a few other things happening.
So it's like the second half of the year has been really frustrating. As an athlete, you want to be able to play your best, train hard, and win.
I'm a playing that I feel like I love to train hard. I love to push myself to the limits. That's when I play my best tennis on the court. When I haven't been able to do that, it kind of goes hand in hand and it's a frustrating thing.
Anyway, this year hasn't been a good year for me, but I'm going to do everything to come back and do even better next year.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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