It was probably unfortunate in some ways that Caroline Wozniacki's first title of 2014 on Sunday came on the same day her former beau Rory McIlroy won golf's British Open.
The Dane’s break-up from McIlroy, whom she was due to marry later this year, has been well-publicised, and it was pleasing to see the her play so well in the Istanbul Cup final as she trounced Roberta Vinci 6-1, 6-1 even if her performance was somewhat overshadowed by the easy headlines linking her success to that of McIlroy’s.
The bigger question is where the former world No 1 goes from here. She is 24 and an undoubted talent; you do not get to top spot in the world rankings by being a complete mug, and Sunday’s success was her 22nd WTA title.
But she has yet to win a grand slam, and since reaching the US Open final at age 19 in 2009, when she lost to Kim Clijsters, she has not reached the final of a major.
Her efforts at the most recent major, at Wimbledon, summed her up as she won three matches without dropping a set and then lost meekly to the unseeded Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.
Worse players than her have won majors in the past, and she should have won a grand slam by now, given her capabilities.
She has never been able to find the consistency to play well for two weeks at a major, which is another reason why it is more of an achievement to win a major than triumphing at a one-week event, such as in Istanbul.
It is up to the world No 13 to change that so she can be remembered as being a great rather than just being good.
gcaygill@thenational.ae
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