"It was like Caroline Wozniacki never went away" - Petra Kvitova gracious in defeat after US Open exit at Dane's hands

11th seed Petra Kvitova faced an early exit at the 2023 US Open after losing to former World No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. The Czech took to social media to congratulate Wozniacki on the win and thanked her fans for their support after a disappointing Grand Slam campaign.

Caroline Wozniacki progressed into the third round of the US Open, having stunned the two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova, 7-5, 7-6 (5), on Wednesday. It is the first time since 2019 that the Dane has returned to Flushing Meadows, having come of out a three-year retirement earlier this month.

Following her second-round exit, World No. 11 Petra Kvitova took to Twitter to congratulate Caroline Wozniacki on her win and insisted that it felt like the Dane had never retired. Reflecting on an underwhelming performance at Flushing Meadows, the Czech was optimistic as she bid farewell to her fans and supporters.

"It was like she never went away. Congrats on a great match @CaroWozniacki 👏," Kvitova tweeted. "Wasn't the happiest of US swings for me but I am taking it in my stride and always trying to find a bright side. See you soon NYC and thank you for your support, always❤️."

"I knew I had a chance to win and I believe in myself" - Caroline Wozniacki on her mentality heading into the third round at US Open

Caroline Wozniacki after qualifying for the third round at the US Open.

During her on-court interview after beating Petra Kvitova at the US Open, Caroline Wozniacki expressed her joy at beating the World No. 11, who is known for her hard court prowess.

“Well, it feels amazing to beat such an amazing player and champion like Petra. Obviously, I knew coming into the match that I had a chance to win, and I believe in myself. At the same time, she obviously has had a great year. She's 11 in the world, loves to play on hard courts,” Wozniacki said.

The 2018 Australian Open champion shared that she was prepared for a tough fight against the 11th seed and was excited by the prospect of playing at Arthur Ashe in a night session, which was something she would not have imagined during her retirement.

“I knew it was going to be a very tough one and I had to play my best tennis. I'm just so thrilled to have an opportunity to play out on Arthur Ashe Stadium. What an honor that is, play a night session in front of this amazing crowd. I mean, again, I said it on court, but three years ago if you'd asked me, I didn't think I was ever going to play on one of those courts again in the US Open, especially a night session. It just feels pretty incredible to be out there and winning a match like that,” Wozniacki added.

The former World No. 1 is set to face American Jennifer Brady in the third round at Flushing Meadows. Having returned from a lengthy knee injury, the 28-year-old will hope to down the Danish veteran, having already defeated 24th seed Magda Linette as well as Kimberly Birrell in the opening two rounds.