Caroline Wozniacki victorious in first match since retiring in '20 - ESPN

Playing in her first match since 2020, Caroline Wozniacki began her tennis comeback with a victory over Kimberly Birrell 6-2, 6-2, in the first round of the Canadian Open in Montreal on Tuesday.

«It feels great,» Wozniacki said on court after win. «It's my first match back in over three years. Definitely a little rusty but what an amazing place to come back and play my first match. I love playing here in Montreal.»

The former world No. 1 and 2018 Australian Open champion announced she would be returning to the sport in a first-person essay for Vogue in June. Wozniacki, 33, said she begin hitting again after her second child was born in October, and she realized how much she missed playing.

Playing on Center Court to a large and supportive crowd — with giant letters spelling out «Bon retour Caro» hanging from the upper bowl — Wozniacki walked out onto the court as «Sweet Caroline» played over the loudspeaker. Before play even got underway there were some signs of rust, including asking the chair umpire to clarify the length of time for the warmup. «Is there a four-minute warmup now?» she inquired.

But once the match began, Wozniacki, a 2010 champion at the event who had received a wild card for entry, looked more at ease. After being broken in the first game, Wozniacki won the next three games and took firm control. She ultimately needed 1 hour and 37 minutes to clinch the victory against Birrell, a qualifier ranked No. 115 in the world.

At the conclusion of the match, Wozniacki raised her hands in triumph over her head and smiled widely as the crowd gave her a standing ovation. She will next face the winner of Tuesday's match between reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova and Mayar Sherif.

Before stepping away