Former world number one Wozniacki announces comeback

COPENHAGEN :Caroline Wozniacki is set to make a comeback to tennis after the former world number one said on Thursday that she was ready to return to the Tour having retired from the sport in 2020 to start a family.

Danish player Wozniacki spent 71 weeks at the top of the world rankings and finished with 30 singles titles - including a Grand Slam crown at the Australian Open in 2018.

She announced her retirement prior to the 2020 Australian Open at the age of 29, saying she wanted to start a family with her husband, former NBA player David Lee. She has since had a daughter Olivia and son James.

"Over these past three years away from the game I got to make up for lost time with my family, I became a mother and now have two beautiful children I am so grateful for," she wrote on Twitter.

"But I still have goals I want to accomplish. I want to show my kids that you can pursue your dreams no matter your age or role.

"We decided as a family it's time. I'm coming back to play and I can't wait!"

Wozniacki said she would first play at the Canadian Open in Montreal in August "to get back into the groove" before targeting the U.S. Open while her long-term goal is the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

"So I'm going to play the U.S. Open. There's just an electric atmosphere in New York that I can't get enough of, and I've played so well there for years and years," she wrote in a Vogue magazine article.

"After that, I'll have a couple of months to prepare for Australia and we'll take it from there. The Paris Olympics are definitely a goal too."

Wozniacki, who turns 33 next month, said she was inspired by 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams after the American returned to the sport following the birth of her daughter Olympia.

"I think that Serena