Friends rally round Wozniacki

If having a broken heart was aviable excuse for withdrawing from a grand slam tournament, Caroline Wozniacki might be tempted to use it.

The Dane’s life has been turned upside down since golfer Rory McIlroy suddenly broke off theirengagement last week.

McIlroy appeared distraught at the split but recovered sufficiently over four rounds at Wentworth to win the BMW PGA Championship title on Sunday.

Doing what she does best may give Wozniacki some peace when she starts her opening match at Roland Garros against YaninaWickmayer of Belgium today.

But then, win or lose, that serenity will surely be shattered when the 13th seed has to face the media straight after.

The 23-year-old has kept her counsel since the break-up, only turning to Twitter to report: “It’s a hard time for me right now. Thanks for all the sweet messages!.”

One of those messages was from Serena Williams, who posted a photo on Instagram showing a dinner on Sunday night with Wozniacki and other friends hours after telling journalists that a break-up is far more painful than losing as a professional.

“Oh, I would rather lose any day than break up. It’s always hard,” the 32-year-old Williams said after winning her opening match in Paris.