"Has unlimited wildcards, has millions of dollars" - Alexandra Stevenson on Caroline Wozniacki's comeback and Venus Williams' longevity

Former top 20 player Alexandra Stevenson recently suggested that the lengthy careers of Caroline Wozniacki and Venus Williams can be partly attributed to their healthy financial situation.

During an appearance on the Match Point Canada podcast hosted by Ben Lewis and Mike McIntyre, Stevenson was asked about her inability to prolong her career beyond 2018. The 42-year-old said that she did not have the finances to afford a team around her and keep her career alive.

"I knew I had to build a team but I did not have the finances, and that's something people don't realize, you need the finances," Alexandra Stevenson said.

She then claimed Caroline Wozniacki was able to make a comeback because she had the luxury of multiple wildcards on top of her already deep pockets. Stevenson added that Venus Williams was also able to carry on playing because of her finances.

"So, Caroline Wozniacki coming back, that's a total different situation. She was (ranked) 1 in the world, she has unlimited wildcards, and she has millions of dollars. So she has the finances to do that, Venus (Williams) has the finances to do that," she added.

Caroline Wozniacki had retired from tennis in 2020 but she returned to action earlier this year.

Caroline Wozniacki and Venus Williams' performances so far in 2023

Caroline Wozniacki in action at the US Open

Caroline Wozniacki and Venus Williams have both played multiple tournaments during the 2023 season, with the former winning four out of seven matches so far. Wozniacki announced earlier that she would be coming back from retirement during the US Open swing, and her first match was at the Canadian Open in Montreal.

The Dane beat Kimberly Birrell 6-2, 6-2 in the first round before losing 6-2, 7-5 to Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova in the second round. She then endured an opening round exit at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, losing 6-4, 6-4 to Varvara Gracheva.

Wozniacki entered the US Open as a wildcard and started the tournament by beating Tatiana Prozorova 6-3, 6-2 in the first round. She then stunned 11th seed Petra Kvitova 7-5, 7-6(5) to reach the third round.

The 33-year-old then came back from a set down to beat Jennifer Brady 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 and set up a fourth-round clash with Coco Gauff.

Wozniacki once again put up a tough fight but lost 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 to the eventual champion. The Dane is currently ranked 238th in the world.

Venus Williams has played 10 matches so far this season, winning only three. She reached the second round in three tournaments, most notably the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, where she triumphed 6-4, 7-5 over 16th seed Veronika Kudermetova.

The American most recently competed at the US Open and suffered a 6-1, 6-1 loss to Greet Minnen in the first round. She is currently ranked 407th in the world.