Caroline Wozniacki Speaks On Her Friendship With Serena Williams

Balancing vicious competition in sports with friendship can be quite complicated, but not for tennis pals Caroline Wozniacki and Serena Williams. Nothing could break Wozniacki and Williams even their rivalry on the tennis court. In an essay that Wozniacki wrote when she nominated Williams for the 2014 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, the Dane talked about her friendship with women's tennis' top-ranked athlete.

"When you go through hard times, you find out who your true friends are, and Serena Williams was one of the first people to be there for me when my engagement unraveled last spring," Wozniacki said. "She didn't have to support me, she has her own life, her own problems, and her own career to worry about, but she was there when I needed someone to lean on the most."

According to Wozniacki, she had a shoulder to cry on Williams, who helped her when she was having a hard time getting over her ex and coping up with the breakup. Wozniacki said that Williams knew the right thing to say. Williams had been there for Wozniacki, which was more than enough.

The Dane further shared that when she faces Williams on the court, they both try to put everything, including their friendship, aside. She said that losing to her best friend in the year-end WTA Championships in Singapore was tough for her. She admitted that it still hurts a bit when she thinks about it, but she knows how great a player Williams is. Wozniacki regarded Williams as her toughest competitor in the 2014 season. Wozniacki suffered four defeats from Williams in 2014.

The last time that Wozniack won over Williams was dated 2 years back, in the quarterfinals of the 2012 Miami Masters. Wozniacki, who finished her 2014 season ranked eighth in the world, has vowed that she is tired of losing to Williams so her best friend should watch out for her in 2015.

In other news, the 2014 Sportsman of the Year was given to San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner. He is the seventh Major League Baseball pitcher to win the award, which has previously been given to Johnny Podres in 1955, Sandy Koufax in 1965, Tom Seaver in 1969, Orel Herhiser in 1988, Curt Schilling in and Randy Johnson in 2001. Bumgarner made history as the first San Francisco Giant to receive the award.