By Sandra Harwitt

It is Caroline Wozniacki who kept up the long tradition of famous tennis players gracing the glossy pages of the yearly Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue in 2015. Wozniacki follows in the footsteps of some very familiar names: Steffi Graf 1997, Serena Williams 2004, Anna Kournikova 2004, Venus Williams 2005, Maria Sharapova 2006, Daniela Hantuchova 2009, Maria Kirilenko 2009, Tatiana Golovin 2009, and Ana Ivanovic 2010.

Wozniacki had the opportunity to chat with a small number of sportswriters ahead of playing at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Sunday. The third see, Wozniacki’s set to play Australian Samantha Stosur in second round action.
Question: Now that the shoot is over and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue is out what are your overall impressions of your experience being involved?

Caroline Wozniacki: “It was awesome. It was amazing and so much fun. I was a bit bit nervous going into the shoot because I didn’t know what to expect, but the whole crew that was there from their team was amazing. They made me feel right at home from the start and like one big family. And Walter (Iooss Jr.), the photographer, was unbelievable. I mean I never shot with anyone that was so enthusiastic. He got the shots down and it was onto the next.”

Question: You were in the United States last week doing a lot of promotional appearances for the Swimsuit issue, such as on the Today Show. Did you know from the outset that you were going to take a spokeswoman role regarding the issue?

Caroline Wozniacki: “I think it came along the way. They liked my pictures and thought it would be great for me to do that to get the word out there.”

Question: Did you like your pictures when you saw them?

Caroline Wozniacki: “Yeah, I did. I thought they were great. I didn’t see them until they were released because they were keeping everything so tight. But I knew I was in good hands and I really liked the pictures.”

Question: Did you have to contemplate whether you wanted to be part of the swimsuit issue when they initially asked?

Caroline Wozniacki: “I said yes straight away. It’s been something I’ve wanted to do for a long time and very few people get the opportunity and I thought it was a great opportunity for me. I was really excited about it.”