Caroline Wozniacki, a former world number one, made her comeback on Tuesday, competing in the WTA Montreal Open after a three-year absence.
Wozniacki (33) of Denmark defeated 115th-ranked Australian Kimberly Birrell 6-2,6-2 in her comeback to the hardcourt tournament as she prepares for the US Open, which starts on August 28 in New York.
Wozniacki, the 2018 Australian Open champion, announced her retirement after losing in the third round of the 2020 Australian Open. She has two children and became a television commentator, her WTA playing days seemingly complete.
However, Wozniacki announced her comeback in June and got wildcard entries into the Montreal and Cincinnati tournaments as stepping stones to the US Open, where she finished runner-up in 2009 and 2014.
Wozniacki won 30 titles and 635 career matches. before retiring. She was number one for 71 weeks.
After giving birth to James and Olivia in the 1,293 days since being defeated by Ons Jabeur in Melbourne in 2020, she is now celebrating her first match win as a mother.
Wozniacki lost the first game but came back to win the next four games in the first set, the last on a Birrell double fault after 43 minutes.
After 97 minutes, Wozniacki broke for a 4-2 lead in the second set, held for a 5-2 advantage and then broke again on a backhand winner to win the match. She raised her arms in the air and grinned with joy at her victory.