Francine Pilon could hardly be better placed to talk about the return of Caroline Wozniacki after three and a half years of absence. First, she is a physiotherapist with a doctorate in biomechanics, and a lecturer in kinesiology at the University of Montreal. Then, “I’m No. 1 in tennis in my age category in Quebec, the super seniors!” “, she says, laughing.
Her diagnosis, humbly made from a distance? “Tennis-wise, there shouldn’t be any big changes. The most difficult thing after three years is to regain coordination and speed of execution, as after any prolonged break. But elite athletes have an ability to find those things. »
The interview with Ms. Pilon takes place in the afternoon of Wednesday, a few hours before Wozniacki’s second round match. Reality caught up with the Dane: not easy to beat a Grand Slam champion after three and a half years of absence. Markéta Vondroušová, crowned at Wimbledon last month, prevailed 6-2, 7-5.
“I have to play real games,” Wozniacki conceded after the game. I generally make very few unforced errors, and here I make a little more. It will take me a little longer to find my rhythm to play matches. »
While on hiatus, Wozniacki gave birth to not one, but two children, the youngest in October 2022.
For Ms. Pilon, returning after two pregnancies therefore represents a challenge in addition to that faced by any player returning to action after 40 months of absence.
“For women in general, when they come back to this level, the physical problem is laxity, says Ms. Pilon. During pregnancy and lactation, they produce a hormone called relaxin, which affects all joints, connective tissues, ligaments, tendons. The body begins to work differently. »
Another danger: the increased risk of injury, says Julie Lavoie, full professor and director of the School of Kinesiology and Human Kinetics at the University of Montreal.
“It’s especially for joint injuries, because with pregnancies, hormones are activated to allow the joints to be more flexible, to facilitate childbirth. But if the training has brought back muscle mass, cardiovascular fitness, she should be in a good position to compete, ”says the professor.
“If there is an advantage to this pregnancy, it is that the cardiovascular side is maintained, even improved, because the hormonal changes will favor it, estimates Ms. Pilon. Pregnancy causes an increase in heart volume, there are more red blood cells. So we maintain or find this element fairly quickly. »
“I felt pretty good this morning,” the principal said on Wednesday. I was able to get some sleep since I was playing later. But obviously, playing the game today, I felt a bit like yesterday. In general, it went quite well. »
Anyway, the simple fact that she returns to the game after such a long absence is a victory for sport in general, believes Julie Lavoie.
And Wozniacki has the means for his ambitions; her family follows her everywhere during this North American tour, which will then take her to Cincinnati, then to New York for the United States Open.
She also confided that her daughter Olivia had fun on Wednesday in the big bouncy castle installed in the Old Port. “You have to be 3 to get in, but she has good coordination for a 2-year-old, so she was able to go. I’m told she had a blast! »
