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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 13, 2018

Caroline Wozniacki

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You are back in the top No. 2 for the first time in several years. How good are you feeling about your form and what you've done over the last 12 months?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I feel good. I think I've had a great last year. Something I'm very proud of. Just happy to be here, playing pretty well. Hopefully I can build on that.

Q. Being at such a high level, what would you put that down to?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I think mostly it's been the fact that I've been healthy. I think once I was healthy, you know, I could just put the work in, like just mentally enjoy it more. I think it's a combination that all goes together.

That's been great.

Q. How much of a carrot is returning to world No. 1, given there's an impressive number of years?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I think it is something that would always be special and really awesome. At the same time, you know, I'm just doing what I can do. I'm just playing here right now. That's what I'm focusing on. Everything else will kind of fall into place.

If I do it, that would be amazing. If I don't, it's still great. I've been there before, so it's not like it's something I haven't done. It's a little different, I suppose, this time around.

Q. Do you ever look back on those days when you were No. 1 for so long?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Not really, to be honest. I think mostly because I'm still playing. I think once you're done playing, you can reflect on your career, you kind of will look back. That's the time to kind of reflect on it. Right now, all the time you have new things, a new focus, new tournament, or it's your time off so you don't want to think about tennis. There's always something going on.

Q. Are you a better player now?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I think so. Yeah, I think so. I think when you're in the spotlight so much, when you play on big courts, when everyone knows -- obviously all the players know you, they want to beat you, you have a target on your back. They try to find new ways to beat you. You have to keep improving, find a way to be ahead of them. I think definitely.

It's much easier when you're a little unknown, people don't know your game yet. You can just kind of go under the radar. Here you have to be a step ahead at all times.

Q. What have you changed since then, for instance?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I think I've improved everything. I think nothing that is very drastic, but at the same time it's small improvements all the time.

That's also what makes tennis fun. You're never perfect. There's always things you can work on. You try and be perfect, but it's just not possible. It's one of those games.

Q. How do you manage the pressure of winning your first Grand Slam?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I just play and have fun. That's it.

Q. Has it changed? You've been challenging for Grand Slams for so long, the desire to win one, is it different than it was seven or eight years ago?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: It's the same. I'm still here. It's the same.

Q. Do you put less pressure on yourself?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: No. It's the same. I don't put more, I don't put less pressure. It's just the same, you know. It's a new tournament, a new year. I'm healthy. I have the opportunity to play here. I'm just going to enjoy that, see where it takes me.

Q. Does it feel like this is a particularly good opportunity, it's more of an open draw this year?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I never look at the draw. There's always so many great players in the draw. For me, it's all about just focusing on myself, taking it one match at a time. I only know my first-round opponent, and that's how I like it, how I like to keep it. Then we focus from there.

All I can do is my best and be in the moment, play my best tennis. If that's good enough, that's great. If it's not, that's okay also. You go back home, you practice, you try again.

Q. How did you assess your form in New Zealand?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I was happy with the tournament in New Zealand. It was a good start for me. I think I played some good tennis. It was a lot of sets in one day at one point because we got rained out two days in a row.

I'm not going to lie. First tournament back, in two matches, I was like, Gosh, I feel it. I'm not 17 any more. But I think it was great just for the confidence, just to get the rust off. It was a good start to the year.

Q. Have you had a chance to see the film "Battle of the Sexes"? What did you think of it?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yeah, I did. I actually watched it on the plane actually to New Zealand. I enjoyed it. I thought it was a good movie.

Obviously I know the history of the WTA, but there was even a couple things where I was like, Okay, now I understand it better. I think it was great. I think they chose good actors and actresses. I thought it was well done.

Q. If there was a bad guy in the movie, was it Bobby Riggs or Jack Kramer, the promoter who wouldn't pay women as much?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I think I would say the guy who didn't want to play the women that much.

Q. There's been a lot of talk about Margaret Court Arena, Billie Jean King weighed in. What are your thoughts? Would you feel comfortable playing there?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yeah, I mean, I just love this tournament. I'll play on any court that they schedule me on. I'm just happy to be here and have had opportunity.

Q. What are you most looking forward to in 2018?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: There's so many things to look forward to. Right now I'm just here. I'm happy to be here. Hoping for a good event, good tournament. You kind of go from there.

I like to stay in the moment and just enjoy what's going on right now.

Q. One person who isn't here is obviously the champion of last year, Serena Williams, somebody you know very well. She detailed in an extraordinary interview a couple days ago about what she had gone through during childbirth, et cetera. Have you been in touch with her? Were you aware of what had happened?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Oh, yeah, I knew. I knew it from the start. But it's not really my place to talk about it. Yeah, so...

Q. How often do you talk to her?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: It depends. Sometimes it's every day, sometimes it's once a week, once every two weeks. It really depends what's going on. We talk regularly.

Q. You play Buzarnescu, same as US Open first round. What do you remember about that match?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: She's not an easy player. She's a tricky player, been playing well. I think she was in the finals of Hobart this week. She's a lefty. Tries to mix up the pace a little bit. So it's not easy, but I'm just going to go out there and do my thing.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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