Caroline Wozniacki Speaks Out on 'Unacceptable' U.S. Open Court Assignments

No. 5-seed Wozniacki expressed frustration about U.S. Open court assignments, specifically referring to Maria Sharapova's primetime placement.

NEW YORK – Caroline Wozniacki's second round U.S. Open match against Ekaterina Makarova concluded just after midnight on Thursday morning, a result of a hard-fought three-set match but also one that started late in the evening on Wednesday after the tournament was forced to schedule 87 singles matches in one day following a rainout. In an interview after the match, No. 5-seed Wozniacki expressed her frustration about the court assignments, specifically referring to Maria Sharapova's placement on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.

"I think putting out a schedule where the No. 5 in the world in playing on Court 5, fifth match on after 11 [p.m.], I think that is unacceptable," Wozniacki said after the match, which she lost to Makarova 6-2, 6-7, 6-1 after two hours and 20 minutes. "When you look at center court, I understand completely the business side of things and everything, but someone who comes back from a drug sentence, and you know, performance enhancing drugs, and then all of the sudden gets to play every single match on center court, I think that’s a questionable thing to do."

Sharapova, who also played on Arthur Ashe stadium at night in her opening round defeat of No. 2-seed SimonaHalep, is playing in her first Grand Slam tournament of the year, as a wildcard, after returning from a 15-month doping sentence in April. On Wednesday afternoon, Sharapova won her second round match over Hungary's Timea Babos in the second match on Arthur Ashe Stadium. In her post-match interview, Wozniacki went on to explain that "someone who is five in the world deserves to play on bigger court than Court No. 5 and, you know, finally they moved us to Court 17 which is a really nice court actually..."

Before her loss on Wednesday, Wozniacki was one of eight players in the women's draw with a chance at claiming the WTA No. 1 ranking at the end of the U.S. Open. Sharapova's next match will be played on Friday against 18-year-old American Sofia Kenin.