Azarenka’s Ascent

Strong start to 2016 propels Victoria Azarenka back into the top five

May 23, 2016 | By Brian Coleman
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Three years ago, Victoria Azarenka was on the verge of being the most dominant player in the women’s game. She had won two straight Australian Open titles (2012 and 2013) and had reached the number one ranking in the world. But an array of injuries over the next year would halt her success on the court.

In that interim, Serena Williams won six of the 12 Grand Slam titles since that 2013 Australian Open, and despite her falling short in the two most recent majors, Serena still reigns as the most dominant player in the women’s game and we have yet to find a consistent challenger.

The rest of the top 10 has struggled to maintain consistency as viable threats to the top spot for an extended period of time. Flavia Pennetta won the U.S. Open last summer, and is now since retired, and Angelique Kerber captured the Australian Open title in January, but hasn’t shown the consistency to be a mainstay at the top.

That is where Azarenka comes back into play. A relatively-injury free 2015 was a positive sign for the Belarusian, and the positives led right into 2016, where she has played some of the best tennis of her career through the first quarter of the year.

“I don’t think I am close to fulfilling my potential,” Azarenka said before the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif. “Just to see what I can do on the practice court and physically what I can improve, I’m far from that. That’s what I’m looking forward to improve.”

What her and her coaches saw on the practice court translated to matches. She defeated Serena in the BNP Paribas Open finals, in what can be considered a statement match.

It wasn’t just the fact that she defeated Serena in a topflight final, it was the way she did it. Azarenka won the first set 6-4, and then built a commanding 5-1 advantage in the second set. Seemingly on her way to a sure victory, Azarenka allowed the world number one to win three straight games to trim the deficit to 4-5.

With Azarenka serving for the match again at 5-4, Serena went ahead 40-15 and had two chances to break and even up the set. But instead of caving in as a lot of players do against Serena, Azarenka showed resilience. She saved those break points and turned her game up in those final points, closing out the match for her first win over Serena since Cincinnati in 2013.

“I have to go for it. She’s not the type of player that if you’re going to play it safe she’s going to give it to you or she’s going to miss,” Azarenka said of playing Serena. “You really have to go out there and take it because nothing coming easy.”

And that is what makes the Azarenka triumph in Indian Wells so impressive. She went out and took it from Serena, validating the progress she has made over the last couple of years and demonstrating how dominant she can be when she is on her game.

The former world number one followed up her win out West by heading to the East Coast and dominating the competition at the Miami Open. She cruised through the tournament without dropping a set, including wins over top players Garbine Muguruza, Johanna Konta and Kerber before bulldozing Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-2 in the final.

The two wins at the Premier Mandatory-level events moved Azarenka into special company as she joined Steffi Graf and Kim Clijsters as the only players to complete what is known as the Sunshine Double.

“It’s an honor to stand next to those amazing champions,” said Azarenka. “This just gives me even more inspiration and motivation to keep working harder.”

Azarenka is 22-1 in 2016 (as of print) and now has three titles to her name this season. While Serena may be the one at the top of the WTA mountain, there is no doubt that Azarenka is climbing up there quickly. For the last couple of years, the tour has not had an adequate challenger to Serena’s throne. Players like Muguruza and Simona Halep were thought to be on the verge of contending for Grand Slam titles, but haven’t been able to maintain that high level play throughout the Grand Slams.

What separates Azarenka from the rest of the field is her competitive nature. These clichés are often thrown around when talking about athletes across all sports, but Azarenka truly personifies passion. She has a hunger that many of her colleagues don’t possess.

“I’ve always been a fighter, since a really young age.” Azarenka recently told WTA.com. “I think I was born this way, and where I came from, there was no other way. It was always: ‘If you want it, you have to fight for it.’”

And that mindset is obvious when watching an Azarenka match. She has been open about her depression following a breakup with musician Redfoo and being injured for the better part of 2014, where she only played 24 matches. Those tribulations have only added fuel to her ever-burning competitive fire.

“I was struggling with injuries, mentally, with everything, but I was brave enough to do something about it,” said Azarenka. “And Serena is one of the players who makes me push myself with the stats and records [she holds]. She’s the toughest competitor there is. And for me there’s a great challenge to have her because it will always push me to improve.”

Azarenka has moved up 17 spots in the rankings since the start of the year and her return to prominence is a welcome site to the women’s game. She carries a huge chip on her shoulder, and whereas other players would run from a matchup with Serena, Azarenka embraces it. In her own words, Serena’s success helps motivate Azarenka to reach that level, and having a viable challenger to the best player in the world is always good for a sport.

Azarenka’s phoenix-esque rise comes at the perfect time. Muguruza and Halep have struggled in 2016 and there is no real pecking order behind Serena, leaving Azarenka an open door she has worked so hard to bust through.

The clay surface has not always been kind to Azarenka, but she is poised to change that perception with the clay season and the French Open on the horizon.

“I am definitely motivated for the clay season,” she said recently. “I’ve always liked to prove people wrong. It motivates me. When people say clay is not my favorite surface, I’m going to work hard to make sure it’s my favorite surface. I will do the work. Do the adjustments. I’m looking forward to going after it.”


Brian Coleman

 Brian Coleman is the Senior Editor for New York Tennis Magazine. He may be reached at brianc@usptennis.com

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