World number one Caroline Wozniacki appeared in front of media with a blow-up kangaroo and boxing gloves on Tuesday, poking fun at herself after a joke about being attacked by one of the animals backfired.
Wozniacki was presented with the three-foot (metre) high yellow kangaroo after telling media she had been scratched by one of the marsupials, in a story which raced around the globe before she admitted it was false.
The 20-year-old Dane good-humouredly appeared with the kangaroo and gloves after reaching the semi-finals at the Australian Open, where she is seeking her first Grand Slam win.
“First of all, I want to thank you for giving me this kangaroo yesterday. I got it from one of the media. I know there was a lot of requests for me to have a picture with the kangaroo, so here it is,” she said, posing for photographs.
“Now I’m actually ready to fight just in case it would actually attack me, so I have the (boxing) gloves on. It looks like it’s feeling pretty well today, so it’s okay.”
Wozniacki was forced to deliver an embarrassing apology on Sunday after telling journalists her leg was bandaged because an irritable kangaroo had scratched her at a wildlife park. She had in fact walked into a treadmill.
The hoax came after news reached her that some journalists thought her media comments were “boring”, prompting her to hit back by reeling off a monologue of answers to stock questions at an earlier press conference.
When asked the kangaroo’s name, Wozniacki admitted she hadn’t yet chosen one.
“I don’t know. Skippy. Fluffy,” she said.
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