Dubai: Caroline Wozniacki has rubbished Garbine Muguruza’s claims that all WTA players hate each other, citing her own friendship with Serena Williams as the perfect example of how players can get along just fine.
In a recent interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais, 22-year-old Venezuelan-born Spaniard Muguruza said: “It’s difficult to be friends between women, we are very competitive. For the guys it’s different, but for the girls, we all hate each other. Literally. And who says the opposite is lying.
“We watch each other from head to foot and I think: ‘I have better fingernails’. It’s got to be said. It’s incredibly different than the guys who are very friendly. When we take part to the events before the tournaments I do not talk to anyone.”
But speaking to Gulf News on the sidelines of a visit to Dubai Ladies Club in Jumeirah on Thursday, Wozniacki disagreed with Muguruza’s comments.
“I don’t think it’s true and I think a lot of players disagree with that quote, we are very friendly with each other and you see players at all times having breakfast with each other and just hanging out – I think people are very friendly,” said the 25-year-old Dane.
Perhaps the best example of a friendship on tour is between Wozniacki and World No.1 Serena Williams. But Wozniacki, who is currently ranked 19th in the world, said she didn’t have a problem being friends with someone she ultimately wants to beat.
“I just think friends help you through everything,” she added. “I love Serena, she’s a great person and we love hanging out. It’s nice to have her on tour because it makes it just more fun when you are out there.”
Some might say befriending one of the most dominant women’s tennis players of all-time might weaken your convictions when it comes to playing against them, but Wozniacki said that wasn’t the case with her and the 21-time Grand Slam singles winner.
“It’s a motivation to do anything you can do to beat the other person on the other side of the net, it doesn’t matter who it is. I think it’s incredible what Serena has achieved, and I just try to do my best to play well against her.”
Both Williams and Wozniacki withdrew from this week’s ongoing Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships at Dubai Tennis Stadium. Williams had a bout of flu and will miss next week’s Qatar Open, while Wozniacki decided to rest a knee injury, and should be fit in time to play in Doha next week.
Muguruza did play in Dubai, but was knocked out in the second round against the Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 7-6(3), 6-3, after receiving a first round bye.
