One Tough Mother: Victoria Azarenka Has Her Sights Set High
Watching Victoria Azarenka in full flight again is a sight to behold
Victoria Azarenka’s well-rounded game was on full display in today’s US Open 6–4 7–6(1) defeat of Italy’s Jasmine Paolini. Flat hard missiles as well as loopy topspin shots forced her opponent off the baseline and even airborne in an effort to go toe-to-toe with the two-time Major champion.
The level of tennis was breathtaking at times, as Azarenka tightened the screws during the tail end of the match, emphatically closing it out in a lop-sided second-set tie break.
“Overall, I thought it was a pretty high-quality match, and I felt that I was happy that in the end I closed out in a strong way,” Azarenka said in press after the match.
Azarenka was in top form and it was a joy to behold.
Since becoming a mother four years ago, 32-year-old Azarenka has faced a series of setbacks and challenges, on and off the court. She’s suffered several injuries, navigated a child custody dispute with her son’s father and cycled through several coaches all while trying to reboot her career and find the scintillating form she was once hailed for.
She’s not alone in her quest for a resurgence after motherhood, of course. Serena Williams’s struggle to regain form has been well documented and much analyzed. The simple fact is that it’s not an easy feat.
From physical changes and a loss of fitness to the new-found distractions of parenting and the realities of time marching on, the route back to peak form is not a straight-forward one.
For Azarenka though, she’s been able to fly a little under the radar, as the focus has been (rightly) tuned to Williams and her quest for a history-making 24th Major title. While the media and the public’s attention has been on Williams, Azarenka has been quietly growing into the second phase of her career.
With 21 WTA titles to her name, including two Majors, the former No. 1 Azarenka knows what it takes to get to, and stay at, the top of the game. She knows it’s hard work and she knows her hard work will pay off. It’s a matter of belief.
With the challenges wrought by the pandemic in 2020, it would have been easy (and understandable) for Azarenka to put her career on the back burner.
Instead, she doubled-down.
She made considerable sacrifices and finished the season ranked 13 — her best year-end ranking since 2013. She won the Western & Southern Open — her first title since 2016 — and was one of only five players to reach three or more finals in 2020.
After last year’s run to the final at the US Open, you could see the belief. She had been there two times before and was relishing the opportunity to test herself against the up-and-coming players who had recently risen to the top of the game. She even beat Williams en route.
Azarenka’s 2021 season has been a mixed bag. She came into the US Open ranked 19 with a 19–7 record.
Her first round victory was a straight-forward 6–4, 6–0 win over Tereza Martincova, playing an aggressive but consistent match.
Watching Azarenka today, you sense she’s riding the same belief that buoyed her at the end of last season.
She’s physically healthy. She’s moving confidently around the court, employing controlled aggression and dialing it back as needed. She regroups and troubleshoots when she misfires or stumbles.
Azarenka has her work cut out for her in her next match against a resurgent Garbiñe Muguruza, another former No. 1 player with the drive to get back to the top of the game.
The fact that the blockbuster will take place in the third round doesn’t make a difference to Azarenka. It’s what she plays for.
“I know that it’s going to be a very difficult match,” said Azarenka. “She’s a dangerous opponent, a Grand Slam champion, so [she] definitely knows what it takes to be on big stages, win big matches. But I love those kind of challenges… to win the titles, you need to beat the best players. That’s what I’m looking forward to do is to play those big matches.”
