Rory McIlroy responded in only way he can after | Sports News

Rory McIlroy not only conquered his own mental battles to say the Masters title final yr, but in addition navigated the presence of his former girlfriend.

Golf followers have been fast to select up on what seemed to be a refined swipe at McIlroy from ex-flame Caroline Wozniacki during what proved to be a rocky begin on the 2025 Masters.

McIlroy endured a rollercoaster week at Augusta. He suffered a late setback on Day 1 earlier than staging an spectacular restoration on Friday. Among these in attendance on the second day was tennis star Wozniacki, who has a historical past with McIlroy following a three-year romance that started in 2011.

The golfer proposed to the previous World No. 1 tennis participant in December 2013, however referred to as off their engagement over the cellphone simply days after wedding ceremony invites had been despatched out. Around 11 years after her relationship with McIlroy got here to an abrupt finish, Wozniacki spoke with ESPN at Augusta National about her Masters expertise, following McIlroy’s tough Day 1 efficiency.

“As an athlete, I think there’s some places that are so iconic that are on the bucket list, and this and Wimbledon are so special,” she commented on Friday. “There’s so much tradition here. When you arrive at the premises, there’s just something about not having your phone, really being in the moment. You see everything. It’s just so beautiful, and to be able to be here with my husband and enjoying it, just the two of us, no kids, no distractions, it’s really, really nice.”

Reflecting on the extraordinary stress athletes face at one of golf’s most prestigious tournaments, Wozniacki revealed she finds it charming to watch elite golfers navigate adversity — a sentiment that completely encapsulated McIlroy’s state of affairs at that second.

“There’s so much pressure here, it’s the small margins. These greens are so difficult, so if you don’t hit it at the perfect spot, you go from being in a position for maybe going for a birdie to being lucky getting a bogey,” she added. “Watching someone who is so good at their craft I think has always been very inspiring, whether it’s tennis, golf, at work, whatever it is. As a spectator, it’s always fun to see when the best in the world are struggling, and that’s what you get here.”

On social media, hypothesis mounted that Wozniacki’s remarks have been directed at McIlroy, who completed Thursday at an even par 72 and selected to not converse with the press following his opening-round struggles.

“Caroline Wozniacki broke Rory,” one X person wrote, with one other including: “@espn y’all are messy for interviewing Caroline Wozniacki while Rory is struggling.”

A 3rd person chimed in: “Rory birdies his last two holes at the same time ESPN is doing him dirty.”

Fortunately for McIlroy, he climbed up the leaderboard with an excellent second spherical, posting a flawless 66. He delivered back-to-back birdies on the tenth and eleventh holes earlier than recording an eagle and birdie on Nos. 13 and 15, respectively.

As for Wozniacki, she disclosed that McIlroy is just not among the many golfers she’s rooting for at this yr’s Masters. “David and I, my husband, we always pick a winner before the tournament starts,” she mentioned. “We pick one that we think has a big chance of winning, and that was [Ludvig] Aberg.”

McIlroy, of course, went on to win the 2025 Masters to finish the profession Grand Slam.