MADRID: It was once again another frustrating day at the office for two-time grand slam champion Victoria Azarenka at the Madrid Open.
Taking on Sloane Stephens, who she lost to three times in 2018, the former world No.1 succumbed to a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, loss during what was a roller coaster encounter. At first, it seemed as if the American had broken Azarenka’s belief in the match during the closing stages of the opening set. Bouncing back from 0-40, to break and secure the 6-4 lead. However, she refused to back down as she staged a mid-match resurgence to revive her match hopes.
Ultimately it was a single break that proved critical to the match outcome. Six games into the decider, an Azarenka backhand error gifted Stephens a chance to break for 4-2. An opportunity she seized with the help of a forehand winner. Cruising towards the finish line, it was the mistakes of her opponent that guided the eighth seed into the third round. Much to the disappointment of the two-time grand slam champion.
“I felt that I really was taking all the control from the baseline points. I felt that I was doing the right things. I was moving the ball around. I was moving well. And I was playing smart tennis.” Azarenka said during her press conference.
“But I didn’t create anything with my serve today and it was really frustrating. I didn’t really have a game plan.”
Since returning back to the tour in 2016 from giving birth to her son Leo, the 29-year-old has endured far from a smooth journey. Besides issues in her personal life, injury has also impacted on her progress. During April she reached her first WTA final in three years but was forced to retire due to a left leg issue. Then in Stuttgart, it was a shoulder problem that forced her out of the draw.
Despite her turbulent run with injury, Azarenka sees the positives in her overall game. One would assume that the older a person gets, the harder they find it to maintain their health. However, Azarenka has her own interpretation.
“I feel that I’m a lot healthier now than I was four or five years ago. And in 2014, 2015, there was a lot of injuries for me, a lot of frustrations.” She explained.
“I had an unfortunate couple of things in the last two tournaments that I played. They weren’t big injuries. There was a lot of tennis for me, a lot of travel that I have to be a little smarter with my schedule. But overall, I feel pretty good. I don’t think that there’s big issues.”
The future
Two months shy of her 30th birthday, the Belarusian estimates that she has roughly five years left on the tour. Give or take. Stepping away from something that has been such a big part of her life will be far from easy, but Azarenka isn’t afraid. Thanks to life as a parent.
“I feel that I have about five more years till my son has to go to school to give myself the best shot and give the best effort because tennis is my job, it’s not my life.” Azarenka states.
“But I want to make sure that I have done everything I can in this time period and we’ll see what happens.”
Fortunately, whilst she remains a player Azarenka is determined to make the most of her time on the tour. It has been 26 months since she was last in the world’s top 20 and 38 months since she achieved the sunshine double in America.
“I have to work and I have to do things so I do that sacrifice and I take that job really seriously because when I do do my job, is the limited time I’m away from my son and I’m going to make sure I put 100 percent in doing the best I can otherwise I won’t be doing it.” She concludes.
So far in her career, Azarenka has spent 52 weeks as world no.1 and won 20 WTA titles.
