Golf superstar Rory McIlroy, Danish tennis player Caroline Wozniacki’s ex-fiancé, made a visit to the 2025 US Open on Sunday, catching 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in action in the first round. Thanks to the DJ at the tournament, McIlroy also ended up catching strays, drawing amused reactions from fans.
McIlroy and Wozniacki dated for three years, from 2011 to 2014. The pair got engaged at the end of 2013, and were set to get married the following year. However, just days after sending out invitations, McIlroy got cold feet and called the wedding off. Moreover, he called it off with a phone call to the former World No. 1, a moment that has become notorious in tennis folklore.
As it turns out, the DJ at the US Open was one of the fans who remembered the incident. When the big screen at the stadium showed McIlroy in the stands on the night, the DJ reportedly played ‘Single Ladies’ by Beyonce.
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The song most famously includes the line about putting a 'ring' on someone's finger, which, in this case, could be construed as the brief engagement between McIlroy and Wozniacki.
"Camera shows Rory McIlroy in the stands. DJ plays "Single Ladies." 🎶If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it🎶 Tennis never forgets!" one fan wrote.
Wozniacki is currently not playing tennis, still recovering from the birth of her third child. After breaking up with McIlroy, she married NBA player David Lee, and had her first child, a girl, in 2021. The next year, the pair had their second child and first son, followed by their second son in 2025.
McIlroy, meanwhile, married Erica Stroll in 2015. Although the pair filed for divorce in 2024, they have since stated that the relationship has been on the mends and remain together. McIlroy played at the Tour Championship in Atlanta just hours before flying to New York City, finishing 23rd there and capping a disappointing end to his PGA season.
At Flushing Meadows, Djokovic took on Learner Tien in the first round, and secured an easy passage to the next round, winning against the American youngster in straight sets.
After the break-up with Rory McIlroy, it was Serena Williams who helped Caroline Wozniacki recover
During an interview with 2015, Caroline Wozniacki opened up about her break-up with Rory McIlroy, revealing that she had a hard time in the aftermath of the incident. The Dane thaked Serena Williams, her rival on the WTA Tour and close friend, for helping her recover from the turmoil, stating:
"I was in shock, but [Serena Williams] was really helpful because she had been through it before. She didn’t sugarcoat it, and she didn’t look down on me. She was really there for me when I needed her the most, and that’s why I think our friendship is so strong now," Wozniacki said.
When Wozniacki, then a mother of two children, announced her comeback to the tennis tour in 2023, she thanked Serena Williams again for influencing the decision.
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