Wozniacki takes her own advice in win over Kuznetsova

NEW YORK — On Tuesday, Caroline Wozniacki went down 0-4 against Svetlana Kuznetsova on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Instead of crumbling, she battled back to take the match, 6-4, 6-4.

The two were deadlocked at 6-6 in their head to head before this second-round showdown. Their last meeting—in the first round of Wimbledon—went in Kuznetsova's favor, 7-5, 6-4, but Wozniacki wasn't worried about that after slipping past American Taylor Townsend in three sets in the first round. (That victory was her first at a major all year.)

"Hard courts are a completely different game," Wozniacki said before the match. "[Kuznetsova's] been playing well, and we’ve had a lot of grueling matches here. I think 7-6 in the third and 7-5 in the third. It's a match I’m looking forward to. I’m just going to have fun out there and enjoy the moment."

Having fun is something the 26-year-old has focused on throughout her entire career, through all the ups and downs. In an essay she wrote for The Players' Tribune, Wozniacki gave advice to her 11-year-old self, and it's a riveting read.

The majority of the piece focuses on her father, and how her family supported her dream from a young age. In the most touching part of the piece, Wozniacki writes about a teddy bear that her father bought her after a tough loss. She still carries it around as a symbol of her support system.

"Your family just wants you to be happy," Wozniacki writes. "And that being the case, please make this promise to me now: Enjoy the ride! The whole thing—enjoy every step of the journey you’re about to undertake. There are so many amazing things that lie ahead for you."

Her WTA colleagues were more than a little impressed with Wozniacki's prose.

Wozniacki, a former world No. 1, has plummeted to No. 74 after injuries plagued her this season, but she's not letting that bring her down. (She admitted that she stopped watching the rankings after she dropped out of the Top 10.)

"At this point, I’m just happy when I’m healthy," Wozniacki said. "That's been my focus this year, just trying to get healthy and feel 100 percent body-wise. It's been a struggle, but I feel I’m there now, and I’m going to make the most of it for the rest of the year, and kind of just see what happens."

The two-time finalist will take on Monica Niculescu in the third round. Nothing can go wrong, though, because as Wozniacki has said, her biggest goals are to "have fun" and "enjoy the moment."

She's taking her own advice to heart, and it's working.