Victoria Azarenka advanced to her first WTA Premier final since April 2016 thanks to a hard-fought 4-6 6-4 6-1 win over Johanna Konta.
The Belarussian, 31, claimed back-to-back titles in Indian Wells and Miami four years ago. Then she spent time away from the WTA tour to give birth to her son Leo. So it feels like a long time since we saw her in such a significant final.
“I think I started to finally enjoy myself on the court,” Azarenka said in her press conference. “It took a lot of work. It wasn’t a one-day miracle that I read something, or I got on a super gluten-free diet or whatever.”
She continued, “It was just constant work that I kept putting in on a daily basis and perspective and your mentality. That’s it. There is no magic thing. I know sometimes when you have results, people are looking for some magic trick that you’re doing, but there is no magic. There’s just work, consistent work.”
Azarenka neutralises Konta’s serve with brilliant returning
During the first set, it looked as if Konta’s great week at the Western & Southern Open was set to continue. She served well and got the one break she needed to win it.
However, Azarenka gradually built up a strong returning rhythm in the match. She took up ever more aggressive positions inside the baseline to receive Konta’s serve. And this enabled her to break the Brit five times over the course of sets two and three as she stormed back to win the match in three sets.
“I think it was a really good, high quality match overall,” Azarenka said. “I think Johanna played really, really well. Especially in the first set, she was really taking a lot of chances, and some of the opportunities that I had I didn’t maybe go enough for them. But she was really, really strong.”
“So I felt that in the second set I was able to manage those opportunities better, step up a little bit. And then in the third set I felt like I was more in my pace and doing what I wanted to do, so I felt more comfortable.”
“But she served really well and put a lot of pressure on my serve, so I was constantly trying to find opportunities to be aggressive. It worked out well in the end.”
2013 champion relishing her time on court
Azarenka will now take on Naomi Osaka in the final after the Japanese player beat Elise Mertens 6-2 7-6(5). And she is clearly looking forward to returning to the final after she won this event in 2013.
“I’m enjoying myself on the court,” the Belarussian said. “I think I’m producing good tennis. So that’s as simple as that. There is no magic here. It’s just simple. It’s the work that you’re putting in on a daily basis is paying off. Sometimes it doesn’t.”
“I think the key point for me is when some things don’t work out, it doesn’t maybe affect you as much. You’re still a happy person to be doing what you’re doing, and that’s what I keep saying is that I’m enjoying myself and doing what I love to do. I haven’t felt this way in so, so long, and probably ever to be honest.”
“So that’s just what I’m enjoying. I think people look at the results as a magical week. I look more at how I feel and what I do on a daily basis. I’m joyful.”
While Azarenka was happy to talk about tennis, she had no interest in talking about the social issues that have overshadowed the action in the last 48 hours.
“I want to talk about tennis, and I want to focus on my tennis tomorrow,” the Belarussian said. “And then maybe when I’m ready to speak about what’s on my mind that has nothing to do with tennis, I will.”
