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BNP PARIBAS WTA FINALS SINGAPORE

October 20, 2018

Caroline Wozniacki

Kallang, Singapore

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How does it feel to be back in Singapore, being the defending champion?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: It feels great. You know, coming back here as the defending champion is always something very special. I think it's something everyone wants to, you know, do. They want to be here at the beginning of the year. So I'm happy to be back.

Q. How pleased are you with your form coming into the tournament, winning China, getting some momentum coming into this event?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I'm very happy. I think winning in China was a big step for me. You know, I feel good and excited for here. It's obviously a tough challenge, but I'm looking forward to it.

Q. After Beijing you said I just want to go home and rest and have some home cooking and all that. Do you feel as though the time, it's not a lot of time, but did you feel it was enough to kind of recharge the batteries for this one last push?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yeah, definitely. It was very nice. I definitely got some good food. It was great to be able to go back for a little bit.

Q. You were taking selfies with Angie yesterday with the iconic photo. I know you two know each other very, very well from years and years ago, and you're the top two seeds here. Do you ever look at each other and go, Wow, we're Grand Slam champions? From little kids to now, it's kind of crazy?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yeah...yeah, sometimes. We go out for dinners and have, you know, a drink every tournament basically. And by "drink" I mean like a coffee or tea or something every tournament. And it's nice to be able to catch up.

You know, Aga is usually part of it, but she's been on vacation now for ten days, so she's been enjoying life. We miss her.

But it's great to be able to catch up and just talk and just have girls that you have known since we were maybe ten years old. It's cool this progress we have all made.

Q. Just speaking of Aga, I saw you tweeted about her new business endeavor. Would you ever consider something similar to that?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I don't know. I think what she did is very interesting. I think it's a good idea. I don't know. I never really thought of it until she did it. I was, like, Oh, that's actually -- that's smart.

Q. How does this event compare to a slam? When you're preparing for a US Open or Australian Open, you're probably alone or with your team. But here you get to really hang out with the other top eight players, take the selfies and go to big parties. What do you think of that kind of big atmosphere?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I think it's different here. It's kind of a celebration of everyone's season. You know, everyone is excited to be here and everyone is excited also to play this last tournament, give it a go and try their best and go on vacation after.

It's just different, because, you know, there is only eight of us. So basically every match is so tough, you don't get any easy draws, don't get any easy starts. Everyone is here to do their best and everyone is here to try and win.

It's different because we all do these events together, whereas before the slams, some people have events to do; other people don't. Some people like to go out for dinner; some people don't. But here, whether you like to go or not, we all go together and do it as a group.

Q. You've played really well on these courts every time you have played here. Have you had a chance to practice? What do you make of the courts and the surface speed?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Yeah, I have. They said that it's a tiny bit faster than last year. I don't know if that's true. I don't really remember, to be honest.

I like it. I enjoy the surface. I enjoy the court. I enjoy the challenge of playing against the best players.

Q. Wimbledon announced that they're going to go to a final-set tiebreak at 12-All in the final sets now going forward. Curious to your thoughts on the rule change?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Hopefully I will never have to get there. But I think it's fine. I usually like the long sets because I think it's more fair, but I suppose at 12-All it's time to find a winner (smiling).

Q. I'm sure you can be a little bit sympathetic to John Isner, waking up and seeing the news?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Well, at least now we know that nobody will ever beat his record there, at least. So he's going to be in the world record books for a while, I think.

Q. Your first time at the WTA was in 2009, if I'm not wrong. I wonder how much your approach and your feeling changes during these years going to this event?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I don't know. I think every year is different, and every year you get here in a different way. Every year you try your best. It's just different players. You know, I think the players that I played against in 2009, a lot of them are not playing anymore. I think it was Zvonareva, Dementieva. Serena is obviously playing and still playing very well.

Yeah, I don't remember who else, but it's like half of the players are probably not, you know, either don't play and coming back or not playing at all and had kids and all that, or a lot has changed. Some of them are still here ten years later.

It's fun to see, and it's definitely different kind of tennis, as well. I think we keep evolving. I think every year it gets tougher.

It's just fun to be back here and, you know, think about my career has lasted a long time.

Q. Ten years ago is a long time, but you're still so young, which is what happens when you have success at a young age. Over the last decade, have you ever thought about -- because I know athletes don't like to think about it, but have you ever thought about the end of the career, when it would come, the circumstances upon which you would want it to come, all those sorts of things?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: I think everyone have thought about it at one point or another, but I don't really think I have an answer. You know, I think I'll be fine. When I finish, I'll be okay. I'm sure I will either not want to do anything for a while or maybe I'll want to keep myself busy. We'll see. But either way, I'm not really nervous about it. You know, I think it will be an exciting next chapter.

Q. Before Melbourne this year and especially after you won the WTA Finals last year, a lot of people were asking when are you going to win a Grand Slam. Now that that question has been answered for you, how does that shape your mind during future tournaments?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: You know, honestly it doesn't change my mindset at all. You know, I feel good. I feel like I know I can win. I know I can, you know, beat the best players. But at the same time, you have to play really well.

It just changes when I go into a press conference. It's so nice I never get that question again (smiling).

Q. Can you give us your impression of Naomi?
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI: Obviously she's a good player. She won the US Open, so she's playing well.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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