It is ironic that Serena Williams interrupted a Caroline Wozniacki news conference earlier this week at the Rogers Cup in Toronto.
Wozniacki, it could be argued, could be responsible for helping Williams resume her dominance of the tennis world.
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The Calgary Sun explored the nature of the friendship of the two tennis players, noting that the No. 1-ranked Williams invaded Wozniacki's time with reporters and the two bantered back and forth, exposing a relaxed side of Serena that wasn't as readily available earlier during her career.
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"It's really great, you know," Williams said of having such a close friend around in what is, for lack of a better term, a sport of individuals. "Everyone is on tour for 11, 12 months of the year so it's really cool to have someone (who can) relate to you, understand everything you go through.
"She was just a baby when we played (a tournament) in Barbados years ago and we've been friends ever since."
That friendship became much more intense in the spring of 2015 when Wozniacki's engagement to Rory McIlroy suddenly was off because of the golfer's cold feet. Reports indicated that McIlroy broke up with Wozniacki over the phone and that when he first started to tell her, she thought it was a joke.
Williams also was rumored to have relationship issues with unconfirmed boyfriend and coach Patrick Mouratoglou. Her bizarre episode during a doubles match at Wimbledon was linked to her relationship trouble with Mouratoglou.
Nevertheless, Williams whisked Wozniacki away from her heartbreak. The two were seen partying and playing at the beach in Miami, taking selfies with members of the LeBron James-led Heat.
They spent most of the summer together, rebuilding their games and showing how much they enjoyed each other's company with photos on social media.
"We talk about everything," Wozniacki said. "We have a life as well, it's not all about tennis. She's fun. We have a good laugh, we never stop laughing when we're around each other. It's great to have a good friend on tour, that's for sure.
"We're definitely going to be friends even after our tennis careers, there's no doubt about it."
The two met in the finals of the 2014 U.S. Open and the 2014 WTA Finals, both won by Serena. While Wozniacki's career rebounded, Williams' career skyrocketed. She has a 40-1 record in 2015, is the defending champion at all four Grand Slam events and will look to complete the calendar Grand Slam at the 2015 U.S. Open.
She would be the first player to win all four majors in one year since Steffi Graff in 1988.
"On the court, there is no hard feelings,' Wozniacki said. "We just go out there and do our jobs. We do our best, that's what makes it fun."
But it's the fun that Wozniacki has helped Williams discover off the court that has given her the balance to keep striving to be the best on the court.
How much credit do you think Caroline Wozniacki's friendship deserves for helping Serena Williams stay focused on tennis? Comment below or tell us @SportsWN.
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