Wozniacki’s Returns To Babolat, Yonex Is Furious And Her Dad Still In The Picture

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 23rd December 2013

Wozniacki's Returns To Babolat, Yonex Is Furious And Her Dad Still In The Picture

epa03882802 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark celebrates after winning a point against Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia during their third round match at the Toray Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament in Tokyo, Japan, 25 September 2013. Wozniacki won the match. EPA/KIYOSHI OTA |

Caroline Wozniacki is instituting changes as well as enacting a business as usual approach to her career. The Dane announced that she has signed a contract with Babolat and will be playing with a new frame in 2014, and despite hiring a new coach in Thomas Hogstedt, she has reportedly asked her father and former coach Piotr to continue to travel with her in a supportive role.

Since last spring when her results continued to trail off, former No. 1 Wozniacki began to play with a blacked-out racket, even though she was still under contract with Yonex, which she had signed with in 2011.That blacked-out frame was presumed to be Babolat since she had played with one before she signed with Yonex and had a measure of great success, reaching No. 1. She didn’t feel like she was getting enough power or control with the various Yonex frames she tried out. Yonex reps were furious that she stopped playing with their racket while under contract, but the Danish newspaper, Ekstra Bladet, reported that they reached a settlement during the US Open.

“I’m looking for a little more power, but also a little more control at the same time, such as I might get a little more spin on the ball,” said Wozniacki, who would not say exactly what type of Babolat she will be playing with but it will be revealed when she plays the Brisbane International, which begins on December 29.

Piotr Wozniacki will be heading Down Under too, even though he said when he and his daughter decided to hire a new coach that he wanted to spend much more time at home and not travel.

“They want me to go to Melbourne,” he told the newspaper. “They believe it is for the best. Thomas believes it is important that I occasionally help both training and competitions next year. He thinks that it is too significant a breach of Caroline if I suddenly stop completely. I have of course been at her side almost constantly the last 13-16 years, so I’m not just dispensable from one day to the next. Caroline needs my support.”

But Piotr Wozniacki did say that he won’t be attending practices and that Hogstedt will be fully in charge of coaching.

Topics: 10sballs.com, Babolat, Caroline Wozniacki, Melbourne, piotr Wozniacki, Tennis, Tennis News, Thomas Hogstedt, US Open, Yonex