Caroline Wozniacki will miss this year's Roland Garros because she didn't get a wild card, and she didn't want to play qualifiers 'like a junior.'
The former world number one is back to playing tennis semi-regularly this season, and she had intentions of playing at the French Open. It's a Grand Slam event, and she came back to play events like this one.
Unfortunately for the Danish player and her fans, she won't be playing this year because she didn't get a wild card entry into the event. Her ranking was not good enough to enter the main draw directly, so she needed to go through the qualifying unless she got a wild card.
Since she didn't, the qualifiers were the only way to play, and she simply refused to do that. Her father, Piotr Wozniacki, spoke with Sport.pl about how, in his opinion, disrespectful the move was from the French Tennis Federation not to give the former world no. 1 a wild card into the main draw.
"Caroline said that she had not worked hard all her life and had not achieved so much to now start as a junior. At some point in life, however, there should be respect in a sport where a person meant something.".
On the one hand, the Danish player's stance is understandable because she gave a lot to the sport, and she certainly deserves a wild card. On the other hand, the French Tennis Federation preferred to give the wild cards to local players, and that's also their decision.
"There is no information from the WTA or the ITF, the organizer of Grand Slam tournaments. Karolina told me that it's difficult - if she doesn't get a wild card to Roland, at most she won't play in it."
"She preferred to wait until they responded to her application rather than submit to the qualifying. I support her."
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