Caroline Wozniacki And Rory McIlroy End Fairytale Romance; Tennis Star Now Free To Reclaim Status As Top Seed?

Caroline Wozniacki and Rory McIlroy ended their engagement but can she now channel that grief to reclaim her status as one of tennis' most promising stars?

The 25-year-old golfer sent a statement to UK's Telegraph confirming that they split up a few days ago after being engaged in New Year's Eve last year and after dating since 2011.

"The problem is mine. The wedding invitations issued at the weekend made me realize that I wasn't ready for all that marriage entails. ... I wish Caroline all the happiness she deserves and thank her for the great times we've had," it said.

In an interview on Wednesday morning, he also said that he will focus more now on golf although "it's going to be very difficult."

"But you know, at least when I get inside the ropes, I will just try and concentrate on the shot at hand. But yes, it's obviously going to be difficult," he said, per The Guardian.

Meanwhile, ESPN W speculated that with the Caroline Wozniacki and Rory McIlroy split, the 23-year-old tennis star can now turn her attention on tennis.

Jane McManus wrote for ESPN W that the Caroline Wozniacki and Rory McIlroy romance has been a distraction for her because she has been constantly seen on the green supporting her beau instead of working on her game.

"And not just free time; she recently pulled out of a WTA tournament in Rome, citing a knee injury, and flew to Dubai to watch McIlroy play golf," she wrote, adding that Carolyn Wozniacki has even caddied for Roy McIlroy.

But that devotion has some consequences and Caroline Wozniacki dropped from being the No. 1 player on the WTA Tour "to being in the same golf celebrity scene as Paulina Gretzky, minus the Golf Digest cover."

Because of the Caroline Wozniacki and Rory McIlroy romance, her game stagnated and managed only to reach two semifinals in eight tournaments, ESPN W added.