Victoria Azarenka reveals little known facts about herself
Victoria Azarenka turned professional in 2003. She has been a fixture on the WTA Tour for over 20 years. Azarenka thrives on competitive tennis and though she is turning 35 in July, she shows no signs of slowing down her tennis career anytime soon, much to the delight of fans.
Azarenka has won titles in every tennis discipline: singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. She has an incredible 71% career winning percentage in singles with 952 matches played, putting her over the 600-win mark. She is a former World No. 1, a two-time Grand Slam singles champion, and a two-time 2012 London Olympics medalist; gold in mixed doubles and bronze in singles.
Because she has been around so long, fans think they know everything about her on and off the court. A recent WTA video interview recorded with Azarenka as she left practice sheds light on new things about her charismatic personality.
What we learned about Victoria Azarenka
Azarenka loves learning new things. Lately, she has been studying SpaceX and has taken up horseback riding in recent years. Her favorite sport outside of tennis is hockey which her son Leo plays.
She is a homebody preferring to stay there when she is not traveling instead of going to exotic locations on vacation.
Her favorite way to win a match is with an ace, and her favorite tennis memory was playing against Serena Williams when she returned from maternity leave at Indian Wells.
The Bond of Motherhood! This image reveals just why women should govern the world. Love, respect, shared understanding, instinct to nurture & protect.
— FurtherShoreMedia (@a_furthershore) March 9, 2019
(Serena Williams & Victoria Azarenka, yesterday, after epic match at Indian Wells. And it doesn't matter who won.) pic.twitter.com/Aq9M19Jcvo
What we already knew but was blatantly obvious in the interview is that Azarenka's favorite job is being Leo's mom. She beams with pride whenever she talks about him, and she revels in the role of watching him grow and develop his personality and interests. Seeing the world through his eyes is her favorite thing.
Victoria Azarenka after getting her 21st win in Doha
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) February 13, 2024
“Do you feel like over the past 7 years, now that Leo’s around, you’re playing with more purpose & clarity?”
Vika: “When I was young, all I wanted was to win a Grand Slam & be #1, & I’ve achieved it. I wanted to continue &… pic.twitter.com/DNnc3djcmV
Azarenka is a gem that we should not assume will play forever. She has maintained a high level over a long career, and with 30-something players like Alize Cornet, Camila Giorgi, Danielle Collins, and Garbine Muguruza exiting the women's game in 2024, we need to enjoy her talent, competitiveness, and outgoing personality for as long as possible. Azarenka will next be on court in Rome at the 2024 Italian Open on Friday, May 10 against Magda Linette at a to-be-determined time.
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