Wozniacki must be 'more aggressive, says ex-coach

Sunday, February 5, 2012

MADRID — Caroline Wozniacki must become "more aggressive" if the Danish tennis player wants to top the women's rankings again, according to her former coach.

"Caroline can recover her No. 1 ranking ... But she must be more aggressive," Ricardo Sanchez told Spanish sports daily Marca. "I tried (to help her) but they wouldn't let me. Wozniacki should be a race horse, not a pack horse."

Sanchez was fired after two months as Wozniacki's coach following her Australian Open quarterfinal exit that cost her the top ranking. Wozniacki remains without a Grand Slam title and is now ranked fourth.

Sanchez, who has also coached another former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic, was quoted as saying he felt "deceived" by Wozniacki's father Piotr, who has now returned to coaching his daughter on his own.

"I was told that I would be free to coach her as I wished, and then I was given very little margin to do so," Sanchez said. "In just five weeks I went from being a coach to being just a consultant.

"Her father put together his own training system, and I was pushed into the background."

Sanchez did not rule out returning to coach Jankovic, but said he would only do so if he is guaranteed "the freedom that I have always asked for." (AP)