| Victoria Azarenka | |
|---|---|
| |
| Country |  Belarus
|
| Biographical Information | |
| Birthplace | Minsk, Soviet Union |
| Residence | Monte Carlo, Monaco |
| Physical Information | |
| Gender | Female |
| Height | 1.83m (6ft) |
| Tennis Information | |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| Career prize money | $16,857,277 |
| Singles | |
| Career Record | 348-132 |
| Career titles | 14 WTA, 1 ITF |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (January 30, 2012) |
| Current ranking | No. 1 (December 31, 2012) |
| Grand Slam results | |
| Australian Open | W (2012) |
| French Open | QF (2009, 2012) |
| Wimbledon | SF (2011, 2012) |
| US Open | F (2012) |
| WTA Tour Finals | F (2011) |
| Olympic Games |  Bronze Medal (2012)
|
| Doubles | |
| Career Record | 135-51 |
| Career titles | 6 WTA, 3 ITF |
| Highest ranking | No. 7 (7 July 2008) |
| Current ranking | No. 363 (31 December 2012) |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | F (2008, 2011) |
| French Open | F (2009) |
| Wimbledon | QF (2008) |
| US Open | 2R (2009) |
| Olympic Games |  Gold Medal (2012)
|
| Last updated on | 5 January 2013. |
Victoria Azarenka (Вікторыя Фёдараўна Азаранка, ; born 31 July 1989) is a Belarusian professional tennis player and the current World No. 1. She won the 2012 Australian Open singles title, becoming the first Belarusian player to win a Grand Slam in singles. Her other achievements include winning the Bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, two mixed doubles Grand Slam titles—the 2007 US Open with Max Mirnyi, the 2008 French Open with Bob Bryan—and the gold medal in the mixed doubles at the 2012 London Olympics with Max Mirnyi.
Personal life[]
At age 16, Azarenka moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, United States, from Minsk, Belarus, to train. In this she was aided by National Hockey League goalie Nikolai Khabibulin and his wife, who is a friend of Azarenka's mother. In 2010 she briefly considered a break from the sport of tennis to focus on education; however, after a conversation with her grandmother, she decided to continue playing. It is the inspiration from her grandmother that is regarded as the key for her continued developments in the sport. As of March 2012, Azarenka is romantically involved with fellow tennis player Sergei Bubka Jr, son of pole vaulter Sergey Bubka.
Tennis career[]
Early career[]
Azarenka debuted on the International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior tour in November 2003 in Israel, winning one doubles title with countrywoman Olga Govortsova. At Wimbledon, Azarenka reached the semi-finals of the girls' competition, only to be defeated by eventual runner-up Ana Ivanovic by 1–6, 6–1, 10–12, despite having two match points in the marathon third set. She continued to participate in ITF tournaments in 2004, and at the end of the season she had a rank of 508 on WTA singles tour.
Azarenka had a successful year in 2005, winning two junior Grand Slams: the Australian (she would eventually win the seniors' competition in 2012) and the US championships. She ended the season as the junior world no. 1 and was named the 2005 World Champion by the ITF, becoming the first Belarusian to do so. In addition, she reached her first semifinal on the main tour in Guangzhou, China. She went from the qualifying draw of the tournament to the main draw, where she defeated Martina Suchá and Shuai Peng, before losing to the eventual champion Yan Zi.
2006[]
In February 2006 in Memphis, Azarenka defeated her first top-20 player, Nicole Vaidišová, and defeated her second top-30 player in Jelena Janković at Miami that same year. On clay, Azarenka pushed 2004 French Open champion Anastasia Myskina to 7–6 in the third in Rome, and took clay-court specialist Anabel Medina Garrigues to 9–7 in the third set in the first round at Roland Garros. At the 2006 Wimbledon Championships Azarenka lost in 1st round to 2005 Junior Wimbledon and 2006 Junior French Open Champion and Wildcard Agnieszka Radwańska 5:7 4:6. 2006 US Open, she had her first win over Myskina in the first round, and lost to Anna Chakvetadze in the third round, her best result in a Grand Slam event to that date. In her next tournament, Azarenka reached her second pro-level semifinal in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, losing to Tiantian Sun. She finished the year reaching the final of an ITF event in Pittsburgh, losing to Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak.
2007[]
Ranked world no. 96, Azarenka began the year by playing two tournaments in Australia. She lost in the second round of qualifying at the Moorilla Hobart International. At the Australian Open, Azarenka reached the third round of a Grand Slam singles tournament for the second consecutive time, where she lost to world no. 11 Jelena Janković in straight sets.
She was upset in the first round of the French Open by Karin Knapp of Italy, and at Wimbledon, she lost in the third round to 14th-seeded Nicole Vaidišová.
At the US Open, Azarenka upset former world no. 1 Martina Hingis in the third round, before 2004 U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova beat her in the fourth round. In mixed doubles, Azarenka and countryman Max Mirnyi won the title, defeating Meghann Shaughnessy and Leander Paes.
She ended her year at the Tier I Kremlin Cup in Moscow, where she defeated world no. 4 Maria Sharapova in the second round, in their first meeting. She then lost to the eventual winner of the tournament, world no. 14 Elena Dementieva, in the quarterfinal. At the same tournament, Azarenka and her doubles partner Tatiana Poutchek, also of Belarus, lost in the final to the world no. 3 team of Liezel Huber and Cara Black in three sets. Azarenka's results at the Kemlin Cup elevated her rankings to career highs of world no. 27 in singles and world no. 29 in doubles.
2008[]
Azarenka began the year at the Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts tournament in Gold Coast. Unseeded, she reached the semifinals, where she beat fifth-seeded Shahar Pe'er of Israel, Azarenka's sixth top-20 victory. In her third career WTA tour final, she lost to Li Na, but the points she earned in this tournament were enough to improve her ranking to a career-best world no. 25.
Azarenka was seeded 26th at the Australian Open. This was her first appearance as a seeded player in a Grand Slam singles tournament. She showed no ill effects from a leg injury while winning her first two matches, but lost in the third round to seventh-seeded and defending champion Serena Williams. In doubles, Azarenka and her partner Pe'er were seeded 12th. They made it to the finals, before losing to the unseeded team of Kateryna and Alona Bondarenko.
Azarenka entered the French Open as the form player of the clay court season, having reached the semi-finals in Berlin and the quarter-finals in Rome. Seeded 16th, she won her first three matches in straight sets, for the loss of only six games. In the second round, she defeated Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6–0 6–0, before defeating 18th-seeded and future French Open champion Francesca Schiavone of Italy in the third round. She then lost to fourth-seeded Kuznetsova in the fourth round. Azarenka teamed with American Bob Bryan to win the mixed doubles title at the French Open, defeating the top seeded team of Katarina Srebotnik and Nenad Zimonjić in the final.
Azarenka at Wimbledon 2008
At Wimbledon, Azarenka was seeded 16th in singles and 6th in doubles (with Pe'er). In singles, Azarenka was defeated by 21st-seeded Nadia Petrova of Russia in the third round in two close tiebreaks. In doubles, Azarenka and Pe'er reached the quarterfinals, where they lost to the top-seeded team of Cara Black and Liezel Huber.
Azarenka was seeded 14th at the US Open, but was defeated by 21st seed Caroline Wozniacki in the third round.
2009[]
Azarenka began the year at the Brisbane International as the second seed. She defeated Kateryna Bondarenko, Jarmila Groth, Lucie Šafářová, and Sara Errani, all in straight sets to reach her fifth career final. In the final, Azarenka defeated third seed Marion Bartoli, 6–3, 6–1, to win her first WTA career title.
Azarenka was seeded 13th at the Australian Open. She advanced to the fourth round for the first time, winning the first set against world no. 2 Serena Williams, before she was forced to retire because of heat stress, with the score 6–3, 2–4.
At the Cellular South Cup in Memphis, Tennessee, Azarenka was seeded second. She won her second WTA title by beating her doubles partner and top seeded Caroline Wozniacki in the final. Afterwards, Wozniacki and Azarenka won the doubles title, beating Michaëlla Krajicek and Yuliana Fedak in the final.
Azarenka competing at the 2009 French Open
At the BNP Paribas Open, Azarenka was seeded 8th and reached the semifinals, where she lost to her doubles partner and eventual champion Vera Zvonareva, 3–6, 3–6. Because of her performance at this tournament, Azarenka improved her singles ranking to a career-best world no. 10. She is the second woman from Belarus ever to be ranked that high, following Natasha Zvereva who was ranked world no. 5 in the late 1980s.
At the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, Azarenka was seeded 11th. She defeated world no. 1 and defending champion Serena Williams in the final, 6–3, 6–1. This was Azarenka's first Tier I or Premier Mandatory event title. Azarenka also became the sixth teenage female singles champion in the history of this tournament, with the others being Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Venus Williams, and Gabriela Sabatini. By winning this tournament, Azarenka's ranking increased to a new career high of world no. 8.
Her next tournament was on clay at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, where she lost to Gisela Dulko in the second round. At the Italian Open, Azarenka lost to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the semifinals.
At Roland Garros, Azarenka was seeded ninth. She ousted defending champion Ana Ivanovic in the fourth round, on the very same day in which Robin Söderling defeated Rafael Nadal in the tournament's biggest upset. This result saw Azarenka advance to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, where she fell to top seed Dinara Safina, 6–1, 4–6, 2–6. With her partner Elena Vesnina, Azarenka made the final of the ladies doubles at Roland Garros. In the final, they played the Spanish pairing of Garrigues and Ruano Pascual, and the higher-ranked Spanish pair won, 6–1, 6–1.
She withdrew from her first match at the AEGON International, the warm-up for Wimbledon, citing a hip injury.
Azarenka was seeded 8th at Wimbledon. She fell, 2–6, 3–6, to second seed and eventual winner Serena Williams in the quarterfinals.
Receiving a bye in the first round at the Los Angeles, Azarenka fell to Maria Sharapova, 7–6, 4–6, 2–6. In Cincinnati, Azarenka lost to Jelena Janković in the third round 5–7, 6–7, committing 11 double faults. At the Rogers Cup in Toronto, she was seeded ninth. She lost to returning Kim Clijsters in the second round, 5–7, 6–4, 1–6.
At the US Open, Azarenka was seeded eighth. She fell to Francesca Schiavone in the third round, 6–4, 2–6, 2–6.
Seeded eighth at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, she lost to Li Na in the quarterfinals, 6–7, 6–4, 6–7, giving up a 5–1 lead in the first set. In her next tournament the China Open, Azarenka was seeded ninth. She lost in the second round to recent Tokyo champion Maria Sharapova, 3–6, 7–6, 5–7, leading 5–2 in the final set and serving for the match twice. She intended to play the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, but she withdrew.
At the year-end Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha, Azarenka vanquished Jelena Janković in her first-round robin-match, 6–2, 6–3. In her second match, however, Azarenka was defeated by Caroline Wozniacki, 6–1, 4–6, 5–7. Azarenka failed to convert a match point in the final set in which she led by a break on four occasions, and also served for the match at 5–3. Azarenka also conceded her serve at 5–5, to leave Wozniacki serving for the match after receiving a point penalty for racket abuse. Due to her loss to Wozniacki, Azarenka had to defeat second alternate Agnieszka Radwańska to qualify for the semifinals. She led 6–4, 5–2 with a double break, before going on to lose nine of the next ten games, eventually conceding the match after severe cramping in the third set forced her to retire while trailing 6–4, 5–7, 1–4.
Azarenka ended the year ranked world no. 7, with a 45–15 win-loss record, having won three titles and qualified for the year-end championships for the first time in her career. On 15 December, Azarenka split with long-time coach Antonio Van Grichen.
2010[]
Azarenka began the season at the Hong Kong Tennis Classic exhibition. She was part of Team Europe, along with Caroline Wozniacki and Stefan Edberg. In her first match, she defeated Gisela Dulko, 6–1. The match was played best of one set due to rain. She withdrew from her remaining matches due to illness. She was seeded sixth at the Medibank International. She won her first three matches, all 7–5 in the third set. In the semifinals, she fell to fifth seed Elena Dementieva, 3–6, 1–6.
At the Australian Open, she was seeded seventh. In the fourth round, she was 4–6, 2–4 down against ninth seed Vera Zvonareva before rallying to win the next ten games in a row, winning 4–6, 6–4, 6–0. She lost to Serena Williams in the quarterfinal, 6–4, 6–7, 2–6, giving up a 4–0 lead in the second set. This was the third consecutive year she has lost to Williams at this tournament. Seeded fourth at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, on her way to the final, she defeated Vera Zvonareva in the quarterfinals and Agnieszka Radwańska in the semifinals. In the final, she lost to defending champion Venus Williams, 3–6, 5–7.
Azarenka practicing at the 2010 Bank of the West Classic
At the 2010 BNP Paribas Open, she was seeded third, but was upset in the third round by María José Martínez Sánchez, 6–7, 2–6.
At the 2010 Sony Ericsson Open, where she was the defending champion and fourth seed, she lost in fourth round to 14th seed and eventual champion Kim Clijsters. This was the fourth match in the five tournaments this year that Azarenka lost to eventual champions.
At the Andalucia Tennis Experience, she was the top seed. She had to retire in her quarterfinal match against María José Martínez Sánchez, leading 4–0 due to a left thigh injury.
Seeded third at the Family Circle Cup, she had to retire from her first match while leading, 6–2, 2–2, against qualifier Christina McHale. At the 2010 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, she was upset in the second round by qualifier Anna Lapushchenkova, who was ranked no. 138 at the time.
At the 2010 Internazionali BNL d'Italia, as the ninth seed, Azarenka lost to Ana Ivanović, 4–6, 4–6. As the tenth seed at the 2010 Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open, Azarenka retired from her first round match against Shuai Peng, while trailing 0–3 with a groin injury.
At the 2010 French Open, coming back from injury, Azarenka was defeated in the first round by unseeded Gisela Dulko, 1–6, 2–6. This loss caused Azarenka to fall to World No. 15. Azarenka was unseeded at the 2010 AEGON International. Struggling with injuries, Azarenka fell to qualifier Ekaterina Makarova in the final.
Azarenka was seeded 14th at the Wimbledon. She lost to Petra Kvitová in the third round. Having served for the first set at 5–4, Azarenka lost nine consecutive games losing, 5–7, 0–6.
Azarenka playing for Belarus in the 2011 Fed Cup
To begin the summer hard-court season, Azarenka competed in the 2010 Bank of the West Classic as a wildcard and eight seed. Azarenka defeated Maria Sharapova in the final, 6–4, 6–1, after defeating top seed and wildcard entrant Samantha Stosur in the semi-finals. The win propelled Azarenka to World No. 12. Despite being the favourite to win the Mercury Insurance Open, Azarenka withdrew to recover from a right shoulder injury. Seeded ninth at the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters and Women's Open, Azarenka was stunned in the first round by World No. 62 Ana Ivanovic, 2–6, 6–7, 2–6, despite serving for the match twice in the second set, and being within two points of victory on Ivanovic's serve; it was Azarenka's second loss to Ivanovic in 2010. However, she won the doubles title, partnering with Maria Kirilenko, defeating Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs 7–6, 7–6.
At the US Open, during her second round against Gisela Dulko and whilst trailing 5–1, Azarenka collapsed on the court. There were concerns that the cause of the fall was heat-related. Azarenka was taken to a local hospital for treatment and was diagnosed with a concussion after hitting her head whilst warming up before the match during a sprint exercise. Azarenka won only seven Grand Slam matches for the entire year, matching her 2007 tally.
At the Toray Pan Pacific Open, she lost to Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals 2–6, 7–6, 4–6. Azarenka re-entered the Top 10 after this run. At the China Open, Azarenka retired in her secound-round match, having received a bye, to Timea Bacsinszky while leading, 6–4, 2–3.
At the 2010 Kremlin Cup Azarenka, as the second seed, defeated Maria Kirilenko in the final, 6–3 6–4, coming back from 4–0 down in the second set to win her fifth career title.
Azarenka's performance in Moscow qualified her for the year-end 2010 WTA Tour Championships, where she was in the White Group as the eighth seed. In her first round-robin match, Azarenka lost to Vera Zvonareva, 6–7, 4–6, despite serving for the first set at 5–4 and leading 3–1 in the second. She also lost to Kim Clijsters in her second match, 4–6, 7–5, 1–6, which assured that she did not qualify for the semifinals. Then, in her final match of the tournament and season, she defeated Janković for the second year in a row, 6–4, 6–1. Azarenka ended the year as World No. 10, her second consecutive year-end top-10 finish.
Azarenka then took part in a charitable exhibition match in mid-November with Caroline Wozniacki, beating the Dane, 6–3 6–3, at the Sports Palace in her hometown of Minsk.
2011[]
Azarenka began her year at the Medibank International as the seventh seed, where she lost to Kim Clijsters in the quarterfinals 3–6, 2–6. At the 2011 Australian Open Azarenka was seeded eighth. She lost to the ninth seed and eventual finalist, Li Na 3–6, 3–6, in the fourth round. Azarenka partnered with Maria Kirilenko in the women's doubles event, but the pair lost to Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta in the final.
Azarenka then travelled to Israel to compete in Fed Cup. Belarus beat Croatia, Austria, and Greece in the group stage, without losing a match. The Belarusian team then defeated Poland 2–0 to qualify for the World Group II play-Offs in April where they played Estonia.
Azarenka's next tournament was the 2011 Dubai Tennis Championships, where she was seeded 7th. She lost to Flavia Pennetta in the third round. Azarenka then competed at the 2011 Qatar Ladies Open as the sixth seed, but lost to Daniela Hantuchová in the first round in three sets 6–4, 1–6, 2–6.
Azarenka's next event was the 2011 BNP Paribas Open, where she competed as the eighth seed. She retired in the quarterfinals against world no. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, whilst trailing 0–3, due to a left leg injury. She also became the second person to defeat both Radwańska sisters in the same tournament.
Azarenka then competed at the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open as the eighth seed. She reached her second final at the event, where she defeated sixteenth seed Maria Sharapova 6–1, 6–4 to win the title.
At the 2011 Andalucia Tennis Experience, Azarenka was the top seed and dropped only fourteen games on her way to the final. She defeated Irina-Camelia Begu 6–3, 6–2, in the final. Azarenka's victory, and Samantha Stosur's inability to defend her points at Charleston, ensured that Azarenka would reach a career high of world no. 5. She then participated in Belarus' 5–0 win over Estonia in the Fed Cup, registering a 6–2, 6–0 win in her singles rubber. In her next tournament the 2011 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, Azarenka retired after the first set of her first match, having won the first set 6–4 against Julia Goerges, ending her 12-match winning streak. Ironically, Julia went on to win the tournament.
At the 2011 Madrid Masters, Azarenka was seeded fourth. She lost in the final in straight sets to Petra Kvitová, but still rose to a career-high world no. 4. Azarenka then reached the quarterfinals of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome, where she was up a set before retiring to eventual champion Maria Sharapova.
Azarenka was the fourth seed at the 2011 French Open. She beat Andrea Hlaváčková in the first round, Pauline Parmentier in the second round, 30th seed Roberta Vinci in the third round, and Ekaterina Makarova in the fourth round to reach her fourth career Grand Slam quarterfinal. She lost to Li Na in the quarterfinals.
Azarenka at the 2011 WTA Tour Championships
Azarenka was the fourth seed at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships. She beat 25th seed Daniela Hantuchová in a three-set third-round match, before beating Nadia Petrova. She followed that up with an easy victory over Tamira Paszek, advancing to the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time. Azarenka was beaten by Czech player and eventual champion Petra Kvitová, going down in three sets 1–6, 6–3, 2–6.
Her next tournament was the 2011 Bank of the West Classic, where she was the defending champion and top seed. Azarenka was ousted by 124th-ranked Marina Erakovic from New Zealand in the second round. Despite her 'horrible match' in singles, Azarenka claimed the doubles title with partner Kirilenko.
The next tournament Azarenka played was the 2011 Rogers Cup, where she was seeded fourth. After a bye, Azarenka crushed Stephanie Dubois, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, and Galina Voskoboeva, before being stopped by Serena Williams in the semifinals, 3–6, 3–6. Azarenka reached the doubles final with Kirilenko, but the team was forced to withdraw because of a hand injury to Azarenka. Azarenka pulled out of the 2011 Western & Southern Open with the same injury.
Azarenka's next tournament was the 2011 US Open, where she was seeded fourth. She made it to the third round, where she was defeated by 28th seed and eventual runner-up Serena Williams 1–6, 6–7. Despite the early loss, she reached a new career high of no. 3 in the world.
Azarenka reached the semifinals of the 2011 Toray Pan Pacific Open, losing to eventual champion Agnieszka Radwańska. In doing so she qualified for the year-end championships in Istanbul.
The Belarusian participated in the China Open, the last of the four mandatory events for 2011, as the second seed. She defeated Polona Hercog in the second round, after receiving a first-round bye. She then withdrew from the tournament citing a right foot strain.
Azarenka would win her third title of the year at the 2011 BGL Luxembourg Open, defeating Monica Niculescu in the final.
Azarenka was placed in the White Group at the 2011 WTA Tour Championships. She beat Samantha Stosur 6–2, 6–2 and Li Na 6–2, 6–2 in her first two Round Robin matches. She secured the move to the semifinals despite her loss in three sets, 7–5, 4–6, 4–6, to Marion Bartoli, a substitute for Maria Sharapova. She then beat Vera Zvonareva 6–2, 6–3 to move to the final where she lost to Petra Kvitova 5–7, 6–4, 3–6.
2012[]
Azarenka claimed her first title of the season at the 2012 Apia International Sydney as the third seed. She defeated her first three opponents, Stefanie Voegele, Jelena Jankovic and Marion Bartoli all in straight sets to advance to the semifinals where she defeated the seventh seed, Agnieszka Radwańska in three sets 1–6, 6–3, 6–2 to reach the final, where she defeated the defending champion Li Na in three sets 6–2, 1–6, 6–3.
Azarenka competed at the 2012 Australian Open as the third seed, defeating Heather Watson, Casey Dellacqua, Mona Barthel and Iveta Benesova in the first four rounds without dropping a set, losing just 10 games and winning 48. In the quarterfinals, Azarenka faced a sterner test against world no. 8 Agnieszka Radwańska, and lost the opening set on a tie-break before coming back strongly, losing just two further games en route to a 6–7, 6–0, 6–2 win. In the semi-finals, she defeated the eleventh seed and defending champion Kim Clijsters 6–4, 1–6, 6–3 to reach her first Grand Slam singles final where she faced the world no. 4 Maria Sharapova, who'd defeated 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitová in the other semifinal. In a nervous start to the final, Azarenka lost the opening two games of the match, and was within two points of trailing 0–3 after Sharapova took the first two points of the third game. Azarenka came back to hold serve, however, and took the next two games to establish a 3–2 lead, before her opponent held serve to level the score at 3–3. This would prove to be Sharapova's last service hold in the match, as Azarenka then proceeded to win all of the next nine games, to record an emphatic 6–3, 6–0 victory. Unusually, due to the earlier quarter-final defeat of Caroline Wozniacki by Clijsters in the same tournament, whichever of the finalists triumphed in Melbourne would gain sufficient points to replace Wozniacki at the top of the Women's rankings. Azarenka thus recorded her first Grand Slam singles title and became the world no. 1 (with effect from 30 January 2012) in the same match.
Her first tournament as world number one was the 2012 Qatar Total Open. After receiving a bye in the first round, she played German Mona Barthel, dropping just one game in a comprehensive 6–1 6–0 victory. She won her third title of the year in Doha, defeating Barthel, Simona Halep, Yanina Wickmayer, Agnieszka Radwanska and Samantha Stosur all in straight sets. Azarenka planned to compete at the 2012 Dubai Tennis Championships. However, after a bye in the first round, she withdrew from the tournament due to an ankle injury.
In March, she played in the 2012 BNP Paribas Open, where she was the top seed. After receiving a bye in the first round, she defeated Mona Barthel in a tough three set match. In the next four rounds, she defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova, Julia Gorges, Agnieszka Radwanska and Angelique Kerber easily in straight sets, dropping just 16 games. In a re-run of the 2012 Australian Open decider, her opponent in the final was World No. 2 Maria Sharapova, and once again, Azarenka won in straight sets, this time by 6–2 6–3, thus extending her undefeated record in 2012 to 23–0. Azarenka´s next tournament was the 2012 Sony Ericsson Open, where after a bye in the first round, she went to defeat Michaella Krajicek 6–3 7–5 in the second round, Heather Watson 6–0 6–2 on the third round, next round she faced a harder test against Dominika Cibulkova, losing the first set and being 4–0 down on the second set, Azarenka managed to came back and pull out the match, with a final score of 1–6, 7–6(7), 7–5. In the next round she faced Marion Bartoli, who ended Azarenka's 26 match winning streak to start the 2012 season (3–6, 3–6).
In April, she competed at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. She received a bye into the second round against Andrea Petkovic, however Petkovic was forced to retire in the second set after suffering an ankle injury during the match, ending it 6–4, 4–4 to Azarenka. Azarenka then faced a tough match from Mona Barthel in the quarter finals but winning in 3 sets 6–4, 6–7, 7–5. She then faced Agnieszka Radwanska in the semi finals and winning comfortably in straight sets 6–1, 6–3. This win meant she had beaten Radwanska in all 5 matches against her this year. Azarenka would then face World No. 2 Maria Sharapova in the final, creating another top 2 seeded final. Sharapova was able to beat Azarenka comfortably in the final in straight sets 6–1, 6–4.
Azarenka won an Olympic bronze medal during the 2012 Summer Olympics. She and Max Mirnyi also won the mixed doubles gold beating Britain's Laura Robson and Andy Murray
Azarenka then competed at the 2012 Mutua Madrid Open. After the first 2 rounds, she faced Ana Ivanovic and won the match 6–4, 6–4. She then faced a tricky challenge from World No. 8 Li Na in the quarter finals but eventually winning in 3 sets 3–6, 6–3, 6–3. In the semi finals she faced yet again Agnieszka Radwanska and was able to win comfortably in straight sets 6–2, 6–4 and in doing so, extending her winning streak to 6 games in a row over Radwanska. In the finals the pressure was on for Azarenka, as Serena Williams was looking very impressive throughout the tournament and would face Azarenka in the finals. This was the first meeting since the 2011 US Open match they had in which Williams won. Azarenka was beaten easily in the final by Williams 6–1, 6–3. The result gave Azarenka only her 3rd defeat of the year. Azarenka's next tournament was the 2012 Internazionali BNL d'Italia, she advanced to the third round quite easily but then with drew from the tournament and avoided a third round clash with Dominika Cibulkova, due to a right shoulder strain.
In the 2012 French Open, she defeated Alberta Brianti, Dinah Pfizenmaier and Alexandra Wozniak respectively to qualify for the fourth round. However, in the fourth round, she lost in straight sets, 2–6, 6–7, against Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia. As a result, she lost her World No. 1 ranking to eventual Roland Garros champion Maria Sharapova.
Azarenka then competed at Wimbledon, winning her first four matches in straight sets. She then defeated Tamira Paszek in the quarter finals, also in straight sets, before losing to Serena Williams for the 6th straight time in the semi-final, 3–6, 6–7 bringing their head-to-head 8–1 in Serena's favour.
Later in the month, Azarenka took part in the 2012 Summer Olympics Tennis at the 2012 Summer Olympics|tennis event]], held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London. She entered two events, playing in both the women's singles, and the mixed doubles alongside ATP doubles World No. 1 Max Mirnyi. In singles, Azarenka won her first four matches before falling in the semifinals, losing for the third time of the season and the ninth time overall to eventual Gold Medallist Serena Williams in a match dominated by the American, in what is Azarenka's heaviest defeat this year. Azarenka rebounded by winning the Bronze Medal match over Russian Maria Kirilenko in straight sets, earning the first ever olympic medal in tennis for Belarus. Azarenka got her first Gold medal in the 2012 Olympic games on 5 August 2012 with Max Mirnyi for Belarus, defeating Andy Murray and Laura Robson of Great Britain. The match was a close one with the first set 2–6 by Great Britain, followed by a set won by Belarus, 6–3. The match tie-break ended 10–8, with Belarus winning on their second match point.
Azarenka retired from her 2012 Rogers Cup second round match to Tamira Paszek at 3–3, and then withdrew from Cincinnati.
Azarenka reached the quarter-finals for the first time at the 2012 US Open, winning her first four matches in straight sets for the loss of only ten games. There, she faced defending champion Samantha Stosur and eliminated her from the tournament in a two-and-a-half three-set thriller which was decided by a final-set tiebreak. This victory will ensure Azarenka retains the World No. 1 ranking after the tournament, regardless of how further she progresses. Azarenka then faced former US Open champion and World No. 3 Maria Sharapova in the semifinal, in what was arguably the best match between the two. Azarenka was able to come through the match after being a set down to win 3–6, 6–2, 6–4. Azarenka reached her first US Open final, where she faced former US Open champion and World No. 4 Serena Williams, losing for the eighth consecutive time 2–6, 6–2, 5–7 despite having had a 5–3 lead in the final set and serving for the match at 5–4. Following her loss, Azarenka was applauded by many in the tennis community for the honesty and gratitude she demonstrated during the trophy ceremony as well as her press-conference afterwards.
It was announced on 6 September that Azarenka has qualified for the season-ending WTA Tour Championships for the fourth consecutive year.
In mid-September, Azarenka played an exhibition match against Dominika Cibulková in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, winning the match 6–2, 6–3.
Azarenka then played at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, where she received a bye into the second round, she defeated Tamira Paszek and Roberta Vinci en route to the quarter finals where she retired from the tournament due to dizziness and avoided a match against Angelique Kerber. She then played the China Open, defeating Alize Cornet, Sabine Lisicki, & Elena Vesnina en route to the quarter finals and without dropping a set. In the quarter final she defeated Romina Oprandivery easily 6–2, 6–0. She then faced Marion Bartoli in the Semifinals and had lost in the last meeting, she defeated Bartoli 6–4, 6–2. The finals was set for another top 2 seeded match as it was Azarenka facing World No.2 Maria Sharapova for the 5th time of the year. In a match that was nothing like their US Open meeting, Azarenka was able to win the match comfortably, 6–3, 6–1. The win gave Azarenka her 2nd Premier Mandatory title of the year and 5th of the year.
Azarenka then played at the Generali Ladies Linz, where she advanced to the semi-finals without dropping a set and only dropping 8 games. In the semis she faced Irina-Camelia Begu, also winning easily 6–2, 6–1. In the finals she faced Germany's Julia Goerges and won the match 6–3, 6–4, giving Azarenka her 6th title of the year, tying Serena with the most titles for the year.
Azarenka's final tournament of the year was the WTA Tour Championships where she was drawn in the red group along with World No.3 Serena Williams, World No.5 Angelique Kerber and World No.8 Li Na. In her first Round Robin match she faced Kerber and almost lost by saving 2 match points to eventually win the match, 6–7, 7–6, 6–4. Azarenka was subsequently beaten by Serena Williams 6–4 6–4 despite leading 3–0 with a double break in the second set. In her final round robin match, she beat Li Na 7–6(3) 6–3, ensuring her Year-End No.1 ranking. As the runner-up of her group, Azarenka faced White Group winner Maria Sharapova in the semifinals losing 6–4 6–2.
Azarenka set a new record for single-season prize money in 2012, earning $7.9 million. She also finished the season with a 69–10 win-loss record and 6 titles behind only Serena's 7, losing five of those matches to Serena Williams, two to Maria Sharapova, one to Marion Bartoli, one to Dominika Cibulkova and the remaining loss coming on a retirement to Tamira Paszek.
2013[]
- Main article: 2013 Victoria Azarenka tennis season.
Victoria Azarenka will begin her 2013 season at the 2013 Brisbane International in what will be her first appearance at the tournament since winning the title in 2009. She will be the defending champion in six tournaments this year, including at the 2013 Australian Open where she will be the top seed.
Rivalries[]
Azarenka vs. S. Williams[]
Victoria Azarenka's most famous rivalry is against Serena Williams of the United States of America. They have met a total of twelve times, including seven in the Grand Slams, with Serena Williams leading their head-to-head 11–1 and 7–0 in the Grand Slams. Their first meeting was at the 2008 Australian Open, with Serena Williams winning in straight sets, 6–3, 6–4. Their next meeting would also be at the Australian Open, in the fourth round in 2009, and again Serena was victorious when the Belarusian was forced to retire due to illness, having won the first set 6–3 but trailing 2–4 in the second. Two-and-a-half months later though, Azarenka would achieve her first (and to date only) victory over Williams, defeating the American in straight sets in the final of the Miami Masters. Williams later won a quarter-final match between the pair at Wimbledon on her way to winning that championship.
Once again the pair met at the Australian Open, in the 2010 quarter-finals. Azarenka had won the first set 6–4 and was leading 4–0 in the second set before Serena came back to win the three-set match, 4–6, 7–6 (7–4), 6–2, once again on her way to winning the title for the second consecutive year. Serena Williams' dominance over the Belorussian continued at the 2011 US Open, when the 28th seed, whose ranking plummeted to World No. 175 after Wimbledon, defeated the fourth-seeded Azarenka in the third round in straight sets, 6–1, 7–6 (7–5), on her way to reaching the final.
The rivalry reached its' peak in 2012 with the pair meeting five times, with Serena Williams victorious on each occasion: the Madrid Masters final, the Wimbledon semi-finals, the Olympics semi-finals, the US Open final and in the round robin stage of the year-end championships. In the latter Williams extended her dominance over the Belarusian with a 6–4 6–4 victory.
Azarenka vs. Bartoli[]
Azarenka and Marion Bartoli have met 12 times since 2007. Azarenka leads the head-to-head 9–3 overall and 1–0 in the Grand Slams.
Azarenka dominated the early rivalry, winning the first six meetings between the pair, including in the second round of the 2007 Australian Open, the final of the 2009 Brisbane International and all four matches that eventuated in 2010. The win in Brisbane marked Azarenka's first success in a WTA Tour final, having previously lost three finals. Bartoli got her first win over Azarenka in Eastbourne in 2011, winning after Azarenka retired at 2–6, 0–2 down with injury. At the 2011 WTA Tour Championships, Bartoli qualified as a reserve for Maria Sharapova and in the only match she played, she upset Azarenka in three sets, winning 5–7, 6–4, 6–4. The match had no meaning because Bartoli could not qualify for the semi-finals as Sharapova had lost her two matches and Azarenka had already qualified for the semi-finals.
The pair met three times in 2012, with Azarenka winning two of the matches. Bartoli's victory in the Miami quarter-finals was significant though, as it snapped Azarenka's 26-match winning streak to start the season. Bartoli won 6–3, 6–3 to record what was at the time her third victory over a reigning World No. 1. Their most recent meeting was in the semi-finals of the China Open with Azarenka avenging the Miami loss with a 6–4, 6–2 victory on her way to winning the title.
Azarenka vs. Sharapova[]
Azarenka and Maria Sharapova have met 12 times since 2007. Azarenka leads 7–5 overall, 2–0 in the Grand Slams and 5–1 in all finals. Together, they have reigned as the top two women in the world since January 2012 (except for a brief period between July to August where Agnieszka Radwańska was the World No. 2 behind Azarenka).
Azarenka won their first meeting in 2007, in the second round of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow. Their first meeting in a WTA Tour final came at the 2010 Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, which Azarenka won 6–4, 6–1 to win her first title that year. Azarenka also defeated Sharapova in the Miami Masters final in 2011 to win her second title at that tournament.
The rivalry between the two players started to intensify in 2012, with six meetings between the pair that year, four of which were finals. Azarenka won four of the six meetings that year, three of them in finals. Their most famous meeting occurred early that year, in the final of the 2012 Australian Open. This match had historical proportions as Azarenka would become the first player from her country to either win a Grand Slam singles title or become World No. 1, or Sharapova would win her second title at the tournament, having won in 2008. Ultimately, Azarenka won the match, crushing Sharapova 6–3, 6–0 in 82 minutes and claiming the World No. 1 ranking for the first time. Azarenka would defeat Sharapova in two further finals, at Indian Wells and in Beijing. Their two non-finals were split, Azarenka winning at the US Open and Sharapova winning at the year-end championships.
Career statistics[]
- Main article: Victoria Azarenka career statistics.
Grand Slam finals[]
Singles: 2 (1–1)[]
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 2012 | Australian Open | Hard |  Maria Sharapova |
6–3, 6–0 |
| Runner-up | 2012 | US Open | Hard |  Serena Williams |
2–6, 6–2, 5–7 |
Grand Slam tournament performance timeline[]
| Tournament | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | W–L | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam tournaments | ||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | A | A | A | 1R | 3R | 3R | 4R | QF | 4R | W | 21–6 | |||
| French Open | A | A | A | 1R | 1R | 4R | QF | 1R | QF | 4R | 14–7 | |||
| Wimbledon | A | A | A | 1R | 3R | 3R | QF | 3R | SF | SF | 20–7 | |||
| US Open | A | A | A | 3R | 4R | 3R | 3R | 2R | 3R | F | 18–7 | |||
| Win–Loss | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–4 | 7–4 | 9–4 | 13–4 | 7–4 | 14–4 | 21–3 | 73–27 | |||
External links[]
- Template:Official website
- Victoria Azarenka at the Women's Tennis Association
- Victoria Azarenka at the International Tennis Federation