Caroline Wozniacki

While to some circles she may be better known for her three-times Sports Illustrated swimsuit appearances, the fantastic Caroline Wozniacki has made a welcome return to the sporting front. Seen as one of the rising stars of the WTA game a few years ago, she’s slowly faded from the spotlight, unable so far up to live up to the potentially unfair hype that surrounded her. However, with a fantastic two-handed backhand and more than a decade of pro experience behind her, the charismatic Dane has plenty to offer.

Having come to the public’s attention in the early 2000s with wins at the Wimbledon Girls event and also the Orange Bowl in 2005, her rising status became clear very early on in her career. She was named the Newcomer of the Year by Sony Ericsson in 2008, another testament to the wonderful progress she made at such a young age.

By 2009, she came to her first major final, reaching the 2009 US Open Final. She lost to Kim Ciljsters in a blistering final. Although defeated, it was a massive learning experience for her and enabled her to continue her fantastic development as a rising star of the game.

She reached the semi-finals of the Sony Ericsson Championships in the same year, further cementing herself as a star who could take the next step to start winning titles. 2010 seen her reach the semi-finals of the US Open, and also reach an incredible feat. It was the first time in history – male or female – that a Dane had topped the rankings. It was an incredible feat, also placing as her the fourth-youngest #1 ever have Hingis, Graf and Seles.

Finishing the year #1, massive things were expected of her. The last few years, though, have been somewhat barren in comparison for her. In 2011, she reached the US Open and Australian Open semi-finals, losing out both times. After a nomadic few years, in 2014 she reached the US Open Final again, before losing.

2015 was a year to forget, finishing at her all-time low of #17 in the rankings. 2016, thankfully, has seen a revival in her fortunes. She reached the semi-finals of the US Open in 2016, finally putting herself back on the map. While she’s still yet to win a major Grand Slam, she’s more than young enough to make up for lost time and win big.