Why Caroline Wozniacki Is Destined for Failure in the 2012 Australian Open

We're going to see Caroline Wozniacki win a Grand Slam at some point. Thanks to her talent and her youth, it's not a question of if—it's a question of when.

A possible "when" in this case would be at the Australian Open, which will kick off Monday. Wozniacki will start the event as a favorite to win and will no doubt be picked by many to do just that.

But things aren't looking so good for Wozniacki right now. We haven't even started the year's first Grand Slam, and Wozniacki's 2012 season has already gotten off to a rough start.

Wozniacki was tackling the Sydney International as a sort of tuneup for the Australian Open, but she didn't make it very far, losing to world No. 8 Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarterfinals. It wasn't pretty either, as The Telegraph pointed out that Wozniacki had tears in her eyes during the match.

She also had tape on her left wrist, which was clearly in pain.

"I hope it’s not serious," she said. "I could feel it today, especially in the third set."

The good news, according to The Sydney Morning Herald, is that an MRI on Wozniacki's wounded wrist didn't reveal any serious damage. The only problem is a little inflammation, meaning she should be able to play in the Australian Open without too much trouble.

But between the wrist and the early exit at the Sydney International, it's hard to ignore that Wozniacki is not quite herself heading into the Australian Open. 

She may also start the tournament without the world No. 1 ranking, which she stands to lose to Petra Kvitova if she wins the final at the Sydney International. Wozniacki will still be the No. 1 seed (see the list below), but she will no longer be the top female tennis player in the world.

Her opponents at the Australian Open will still be gunning for her as if she were the No. 1 player in the world, though. Wozniacki is going to have a target on her back, and that's only going to make life more difficult.

She's had a hard enough time in Grand Slams as it is. Despite being one of the top players in the world, she's only played in one Grand Slam final, and she only advanced as far as the semifinals last year, doing it at the Australian Open and the US Open.

In order to take the next step in 2012, Wozniacki is going to have to stay healthy and step up her game. 

Unfortunately, she's already dealing with a balky wrist, and she's already bowed out of one tournament earlier than she was supposed to.

Wozniacki will be a top contender to win Grand Slams all year long, but the timing at the moment just isn't right. The circumstances at play point towards a quick exit.

It will be a disappointing end, but Wozniacki will have to take it and learn from it. That's nothing she hasn't done before.

Women's Top 8

Seed	Player
1.	Caroline Wozniacki
2.	Petra Kvitová
3.	Victoria Azarenka
4.	Maria Sharapova
5.	Li Na
6.	Samantha Stosur
7.	Vera Zvonareva
8.	Agnieszka Radwańska