TENNIS:Caroline Wozniacki tells DONALD MCRAEshe is determined to win her first grand slam title. The Dane is world number one without having won a major but she is out to put the record straight in Melbourne

AS CAROLINE Wozniacki resumes her quest for a first grand slam, the new world number one allowed herself a brief moment of wonder. The 20-year-old Dane speaks eight languages and displays a breadth of personality that belies the supposed anonymity of women’s tennis, but she paused to consider her new status.

“It’s definitely a huge thing for me,” Wozniacki said, with just a hint of breathlessness, as she reflected on her rise to replace Serena Williams at the summit of the world rankings. “Ever since I was a little girl it was a dream for me to become number one. I’ve been striving for that since I started playing. Of course the second goal is to win a grand slam but, always, this was my first dream.

“I knew if I won my third-round match in Beijing (against Petra Kvitova last October) I’d become number one. So I was nervous but my dad was there and that it made it extra-special – because he’s also my coach. For the two of us to be side by side when we had this big celebration on court was great. But it’s probably taken me until now to work out what it really means to achieve this first big dream.”

The most evocative title in women’s tennis has been diminished in recent years by the fact that, like Wozniacki, neither Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic nor Russia’s Dinara Safina has ever won a grand slam, despite leading the rankings in 2008 and 2009. Safina has struggled with injury and a slump in form, sinking to her 65th place. Wozniacki is aware of the need to respond differently to her new ranking.

“The aim now is to win a grand slam. I’m lucky my game works well on every surface and so I think I’m close to winning one. I have the ability but you need seven good matches and everything has to fall into place. You need the experience, a good draw and some luck.”

Despite being the top seed in Melbourne, Wozniacki says she has not studied the draw – beyond discovering the identity of her first opponent. “The only thing I know is that I play Gisela Dulko (the Argentinian who is the world’s best doubles player). But I’ve not looked at the draw at all. I never do because there’s no point. Why try to work out who you might play in the quarter-final when you haven’t even won your first round? I know Dulko is not easy. She gets lots of balls back and she likes this surface. So it’s important I only think about her.”

Wozniacki has also suffered some early losses this year – in exhibitions against Kim Clijsters and Vera Zvonareva (the world number two) as well in her first tournament, in Sydney. “I lost to Dominika Cibulkova a few days ago. I didn’t play that well but it’s always like this at the beginning of the season. I’ll be ready next week because I’ve been playing lots of practice sets and feel really good. And the exhibitions are matches where you try out different things. I beat Li Na in Hong Kong last week – but I lost to her in the fourth round of the Australian last year when she was having a good run.

“So there are lots of girls but, for the Australian, you think first of Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin. Serena won’t be there because of injury but Venus (Williams) and Zvonareva are also tough. Zvonareva is a good competitor and I lost to her in the semis of the US Open.”

Wozniacki is a much more likely grand-slam winner than Jankovic or Safina ever were, as well as being engaging and interesting. She is exuberant company whether paying homage to King Kenny, and her dreamy hope that Liverpool will soon escape despair under Dalglish, or explaining her linguistic mastery.

“I’m completely fluent in three languages – Danish, Polish and English – and my Russian is also pretty good. But it’s not such a big deal to say I can talk Czech and Slovakian because they’re similar to Polish. I can talk Norwegian and Swedish too but they’re very similar to Danish. I was trying to learn French for three years at school but now it’s not good. But, yeah, I’m lucky this way. It’s very easy for me to pick up new languages.”

Her scouse may need a little work, because her visits to Merseyside have been limited by a relentless schedule. “I was last there in November when Liverpool beat Chelsea 2-0. I watch most of their matches wherever I am in the world but being invited to Anfield was special. I was lucky to go to the players’ lounge and I met most of them. It helps that Daniel Agger is my friend but it was easy being around the others.”

Did she feel chilled out when meeting her Liverpool idols – Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres? “I did. It was cool because I know they’re just normal people like me. I also know they’re really determined that, starting this weekend (in the Merseyside derby), they get some better results. It’s been tough to see them lose a lot but I support them whatever happens.”

Last March, after she reached the final in Indian Wells, Wozniacki was thrilled to receive a fax of congratulations from Anfield. “It came from the whole team and every player signed it. They wished me good luck in the final and said they were supporting me. I was so happy but, then, you know what? I lost in the final (against Jankovic)!”

As the daughter of Polish immigrants, football runs deep in Wozniacki’s family. Her father, Piotr, a former professional, left Poland 25 years ago to join the Danish club Boldklubben 1909 and her brother, Patrik, plays for Bronshoj in Denmark’s first division. Wozniacki laughs at the fact Patrik is now on the fringes of Danish celebrity. “He did Dancing With The Stars and he really surprised me. I thought, being my brother, he was going to be very stiff and not so elegant on the dance floor. But he came fourth and he was very good.”

Wozniacki’s own fame in Denmark has a more corrosive influence – and chimes with a stalking by the paparazzi. “I try to be open and positive but it’s different. In Denmark lots of people come up to me for autographs. But it’s much harder when I have photographers following every step, just in case they catch a photo of me doing, well, I don’t know what. I don’t like it but I don’t want to change because of the paparazzi. I’m rarely in Denmark now. I stay in Monaco and I can do whatever I want there. Lots of sportspeople live there and so it’s more relaxed.”

There are, also, thrilling aspects to her life. Wozniacki acknowledges her fortune. “The year started with me going to play an exhibition in Thailand and it was amazing. We went on safari and then to a Buddhist temple, where we spoke to the monks, and then I met the prime minister. And then we went to see the king in hospital and we had this small ceremony.

“These opportunities come because of tennis. It’s the same with Stella McCartney – because I’m the only girl who wears the tennis line she designs. She asked me if I’d be interested and I was, like, ‘Of course!’ I go for fittings four times a year and I get to talk about the collections with her and she asks what colours or designs I like. That’s very cool. And maybe it’s something I’d like to do in the future.”

She is winningly nonchalant about her plans to study at a leading university in America once her tennis career is over. “I’d like to do a lot of things – whether in design or architecture or business. I have a really wide range of interests and I’ve still got time to work out my exact direction.”

Wozniacki is more certain about her immediate objective: a grand-slam victory to match her world number one ranking. But she is smart enough to temper her predictions – even with the Australian, French and Wimbledon left before she turns 21, in July. “You never know if you might win one this year, next year or maybe even never at all. But it’s my big dream now.”

Wozniacki factifle

Nationality: Danish

Birthdate: July 11th, 1990

Birthplace: Odense, Denmark

Residence: Monte Carlo, Monaco

Turned Pro: July 18th, 2005

Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)

2010 Ranking: 1

Coached: by father, Piotr; also coached by Morten Christensen at National Tennis Center in Denmark

Began playing: at age seven

Family background: Father played pro soccer in Poland and Denmark; mother, Anna, played volleyball for Polish National Team; brother, Patrik, plays pro soccer in Denmark

Hobbies: Enjoys soccer, swimming, watching golf, reading (especially Harry Potter books), shopping, listening to music.

Favourite actor: Johnny Depp

Favourite food: steak and potatoes.