Wozniacki already understands the underpinnings of a stirring comeback story. She rose to No. 1 in October 2010 and returned to the top after winning in Australia eight years later. The gap between being a top-ranked player is the longest since WTA rankings began in 1975.

The Danish star has earned 30 WTA singles titles, winning at least one for 11 consecutive years from 2008-18. She toppled Venus Williams in the WTA Finals in 2017. She nearly broke through in the US Open twice, falling to Clijsters in 2009 and Serena Williams in 2014.

No matter what happens moving forward, what is her legacy?

"I don't know," said Wozniacki, pondering the big picture. "For me, I worked really hard to achieve the things I achieved. Being from a small country where tennis wasn't a big sport, being a trailblazer, the first Scandinavian woman to win a Grand Slam (tournament) and be No. 1 is pretty cool."

Any US Open regrets?

"I don't really believe in regrets," she said. "You do the best you possibly can, learn from it and move on. That's my philosophy. There's no reason to think what-if. There were a lot of matches I won that I could have lost.

"I just try to leave it all out there."

Did starting and succeeding at such a young age burn the fuse too fast?

"I never really thought about pressure," Wozniacki said. "That was kind of normal for me. That was my life. I matured very early, traveling around the world from a young age. I don't think I felt super young at 19, if that makes sense. I felt ready. That was my time. I was ready to take on the world. That was always my mindset."

World, here she comes again. The goals remain just as lofty. The sweat and climb just as satisfying.

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