Caroline Wozniacki has pulled out of her first tournament of the year with a shoulder injury. The world No. 10 was scheduled to play Dominika Cibulkova in the first round of Brisbane, but apparently suffered the injury a couple of days ago in practice.
Wozniacki hopes to recover to play the Sydney International, which begins a week from Sunday. She said that she began to feel some shoulder pain just before heading to Australia and added that it hurts most when she serves. However, Wozniacki did undergo a shoulder scan, which showed no structural damage.
“Right now, I just need some good physio treatment and my head is still in Sydney,” Wozniacki said. “I’ve been working really hard and well during the off season and I wanted to start the year well, which is why I made the decision to withdraw from here because there wasn't a reason to make it worse. But I still feel confident about the season and want to be able to play at 100 percent when I start.”
Wozniacki said she's pleased with the progress she's made training with new coach Thomas Hogstedt. The former No. 1 confirmed a report that she asked her father and former coach Piotr, and her mother, Anna, to accompany her to the Australian Open.
“I think it’s great my dad is coming to Melbourne and my mom is coming too,” she said. “I think it's great to have their support and have them by my side.”