Striving for perfection has provided Caroline Wozniacki with her biggest rewards – and the most frustrations too. She explains why in a candid 20 Questions.
What is the greatest benefit of being famous?
I think the greatest benefit is that you get so many presents and you get a lot of stuff for free.
What quality do you most like in other people?
Honesty is definitely a huge part for me, and someone who is funny. Those are qualities that attract me. Easy-going, definitely.
What annoys or frustrates you the most?
When I’m at home and things are all over the place, especially when my friends don’t clean up after themselves. Like they’ll eat and put stuff everywhere. I’m like, put it in the dishwasher, it’s not that difficult.
What do you most like in yourself?
The ability to make other people smile and just have a good time.
What do you dislike in yourself?
It’s sometimes not great that I’m such a perfectionist, because especially when I’m on court it gets so frustrating at times at practice because things are just not perfect and they will never be.
What has been your best moment on a tennis court?
Probably the time when I reached (world) No.1 or the US Open finals.
What has been your worst moment on a tennis court?
I try to erase those in my head. I try to forget.
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you have given yourself when your career started?
Probably enjoy it more while it lasts because I think, especially at the beginning of my career, I was so focused just on tennis and going to the courts and to the hotel. I think now I’ve loosened up more and I’m just enjoying the whole atmosphere and being at different places and really enjoying the places to go see.
What is the best advice you have ever been given?
Probably that, no matter what you do, people will always try and bring you down and tell you that you can’t do certain stuff, especially if you’re aiming high because they don’t think they can do it themselves. Believe in yourself and don’t let anyone get to your head and just enjoy what you do and keep smiling.
What would be your perfect day?
It would be wake up with no alarm, have breakfast at home and bring my duvet into the living room and just be on the couch and watch some series most of the day. And then meet up with some friends later that afternoon and probably eat some more. I’d probably make like a big fort on my couch. Plenty of pillows, plenty of duvets, and watch another movie with popcorn and just chill out.
Do you have any superstitions?
Not really. I mean my lucky number is eight, but I don’t really have any superstitions.
What is your greatest fear?
Spiders. Oh my gosh. I cannot handle spiders, no matter how small they are I run away screaming. They’re disgusting. I don’t mind snakes, but spiders creep me out.
What has been your most extravagant (most expensive or biggest) purchase?
Probably my apartment.
What living person do you most admire?
I’d say my parents because they’ve taught me everything I know today and without them I wouldn’t be where I am. And I admire them as well as a couple and how they’ve managed to be together and be so happy for such a long time. That’s something that I’d like for myself one day.
What is your most treasured possession?
Probably right now, and it’s sad to say, it’s probably my phone. It’s how I keep up with everybody and that’s how I keep in touch with my friends and my family when they’re not around. It’s sad, actually, but it’s true that without it I feel I would be isolated.
If you weren’t a tennis player what would you like to be?
I would probably study business because it’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but as something that’s completely different I would love to do some acting. I think acting would be so much fun.
Where is the best place you’ve been?
I love New York. I think it’s probably my favourite city in the world.
Where would you most like to go to that you haven’t been yet?
I’d like to go to Bora Bora. My parent’s Christmas present last year, I sent them to Bora Bora and they said it was amazing so I would like to go there.
Who would you most like to have as a dinner guest (can be alive or deceased)?
I would like Blake Lively. I think she has it going for her. She has like a really handsome husband, she has a baby, she has an acting career going. She seems like an interesting person as well. I have small woman crush on her.
How would you like to be remembered?
I would definitely like to be remembered as a positive and inspiring person and someone great to be around. And I’d also like to be known for my tennis and hopefully be a role model for the other ones.
Barry Wood has reported on the game for over 35 years, attending his first Australian Open at Kooyong before going on to interview almost every top player as well as many others for numerous publications.
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