It may not help Caroline Wozniacki's state of mind, but if it's any consolation, she's winning the sympathy battle with former fiancé Rory McIlroy over their recent breakup.

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Last week, McIlroy announced that the two not only had called off their engagement, but also that the relationship was over by mutual consent.

But McIlroy told Wozniacki about their life-altering decision on the phone.

According to the New York Times, "McIlroy publicly announced the end of the engagement, which he said he called off because he realized after the wedding invitations had been sent out that he was not yet ready for marriage, on May 21 after breaking the news to her over the phone."

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And CBSSports.com added that Wozniacki first thought the three-minute phone call was a prank, as reported by The Times: "Except that the last time he called, less than a day after telling her how much he loved her, it was a three-minute conversation she thought was a joke."

As CBSSports.com explained, logistics could have been a factor in the decision once McIlroy realized he didn't want to spend the rest of his life with Wozniacki, who had already been talking of retiring and starting a family.

"On one hand, when were they going to see each other in person again?" CBSSports.com asked. "McIlroy was in England and coming to the U.S. for golf and Wozniacki was busy in Paris with the French Open.

"Don't you kind of have to pull the trigger on that when you have the stones to do it? On the other hand...yikes, that's not pretty."

Ask any etiquette professional whether calling off an engagement over the phone is appropriate.

Do you think Rory McIlroy's phone call to Caroline Wozniacki to call off their engagement and break up was appropriate? Comment below or tell us @SportsWN.