Victoria Azarenka eyes return to top, but admits it has to wait

Tennis365
March 31, 2018

Victoria Azarenka says she knows that she needs to play more tournaments to return to her former level.

The former world number one lost in the semi-finals of the Miami Open after a total collapse to Sloane Stephens in the second half of the match.

However, she says that is unsurprising given her lack of tournament action in the last year.

“I honestly didn’t feel good at all the whole match. I felt like I was a little bit too slow. It’s just I was fresher in the first set and getting to the ball at the right time.

“And then I stopped getting to the ball. I need to be more tournament fit, more match fit, and I need to continue to play.’

Azarenka has been forced to largely withdraw from tennis due to an ongoing custody battle for her one-year-old son in Los Angeles. It’s something that is still rumbling on and dictating her future in the sport,though she admits she hopes to be back on the circuit soon.

“‘I’m going back to LA,” she confirmed when asked about her future plans. “I have to go back, and then I will see what happens.

“When I have some news, I’ll be ready to share them’. I don’t have any news to share with you right now [regarding her next tournament].

“I’m not too bad. Overall, you know, from Indian Wells to Miami I did pretty good improvement. And now I hope I’ll be able to play more and continue to work hard, because I really need to play more matches.”

Victoria Azarenka WTA Tour