Victoria Azarenka has been one of the most consistent players in the WTA Tour for over two decades. A two-time Australian Open champion and former World No. 1, the Belarusian was at the peak of her career in 2012 and 2013, holding the top spot in the WTA rankings for 51 weeks. However, apart from her triumphs on the court, as one of the mothers on tour, she has been championing important changes for women.

In 2016, Azarenka started the season with an impressive run, winning the Sunshine Double of Indian Well and Miami. However, not long after, she realized she was expecting a baby with her then-boyfriend Billy McKeague. She announced the news on Twitter with a hopeful message. She said she was “truly inspired by female athletes who return to the very top of their sport after having children, and I plan to do exactly that.”

However, she later recognized she wasn’t sure she could recover her career. “I was scared, it wasn’t easy,” she told BBC in 2019. “I knew I was going to come back, but my first thought was, ‘Oh my god, I’m never going to play tennis again.’”

In December of that year, she gave birth to her son, Leo, and in 2017, she made her comeback on the tour, winning her first match back. However, when everything seemed set for a smooth return to the court, she found herself involved in a custody battle that halted her career.

Azarenka missed tournaments to fight for custody

Azarenka and McKeague split in August 2017, starting a painful legal process. As they could not agree on custody terms, the two-time major champion had to withdraw from the US Open. “As we work to resolve some of the legal processes, the way things stand now is that the only way I can play in the US Open this year is if I leave Leo behind in California, which I’m not willing to do,” she wrote on her social media.

After missing other tournaments and a lengthy process, it was reported that Azarenka won the custody battle in January 2018. “I wouldn’t wish that on anybody to go through what I’ve been going through,” she told the press in April of that year.

However, once Azarenka returned to the tour, she climbed her way back over the next few years. One of her highlights was reaching the 2020 US Open final against Naomi Osaka and pushing for better protections for mothers in the sport.

Supporting mothers on tour

Azarenka became a leading voice for maternal rights in tennis, pushing for policies that would allow players to take maternity leave without sacrificing their rankings and advocating for financial support for mothers on tour.

In 2019, the WTA updated its rules to protect rankings for players on maternity leave. Azarenka didn’t stop there—she continued to push for financial support, telling BBC Sport in 2024 that “the important part is to change the financial part of maternity leave.”

In 2025, the WTA announced that players are now eligible for paid maternal leave, marking a historic moment in the sport’s history. Eligible WTA players can receive up to 12 months of paid maternity leave.

She keeps breaking records

Even at 35, Azarenka is rewriting the record books. At the 2025 French Open, she stormed into the second round with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Yanina Wickmayer, becoming the oldest player in the Open era to win a Grand Slam match with a ‘double bagel.’ It was her fifth career double bagel at a major, putting her just behind Maria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters.

Azarenka also became the first woman to record a Grand Slam double bagel in three different decades. While maybe not as dominant as she once was, Azarenka keeps showing that her career is far from over.

Lionel Messi‘s arrival in the Major League Soccer with Inter Miami has created a buzz in the sporting world. With numerous stars from different fields flocking to witness his brilliance on the pitch, the little magician has become a major attraction. Among the attendees were sporting icons like LeBron James and Serena Williams, who joined the audience to marvel at Messi’s talents.

Victoria Azarenka, the former world number one, was another notable presence at one of Messi’s matches for Inter Miami. The Argentine maestro delivered a spectacular performance, assisting once and scoring twice against Atlanta United, despite not playing the entire match. Azarenka, like many others, couldn’t help but be in awe of Messi’s brilliance and joined the list of admirers.

While Azarenka enjoyed her time watching Messi’s game, she is focused on her own tennis journey. After a disappointing exit from Wimbledon 2023, where she faced crowd backlash after losing to Elina Svitolina in the fourth round, Azarenka is determined to make a strong comeback. Her sights are now set on preparing for the upcoming US Open 2023.

Azarenka’s Hilarious Message About Messi

During the match, Azarenka found herself in a memorable and amusing situation. She took a selfie pitch-side “with Messi”, capturing the joy of the moment on her official Twitter account. In her witty caption, Azarenka humorously expressed her emotions, stating what reaction getting any closer to Messi could spark. would probably result in tears of joy.

“My selfie with Messi. My face. Anywhere closer than that I would probably/most likely cry”, Azarenka posted. As she takes a well-deserved break from tennis, Azarenka is looking forward to rejuvenating herself and gearing up for the highly anticipated US Open. Before immersing herself in the Grand Slam action at Flushing Meadows, she made time to witness Messi’s skills firsthand.

The experience left her in awe, adding to the excitement of her upcoming tennis endeavors. As Messi continues to shine in the MLS, stars from various sports and fields will likely be drawn to his matches, just as Azarenka did. The encounters between the football legend and other stars showcase the cross-sport admiration, creating heartwarming moments for fans and athletes alike.

In a recent turn of events at Wimbledon 2023, a controversy has unfolded involving Victoria Azarenka and Elina Svitolina. Svitolina, hailing from Ukraine, has chosen not to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian players after matches.

The incident that brought attention to this issue occurred on No. 1 Court when Azarenka, a Belarusian player, refrained from shaking hands with Svitolina following the Ukrainian player’s victory. Azarenka’s gesture of waving as a sign of respect for Svitolina’s decision was met with significant disapproval from the crowd, who were unaware of the motivation behind her action.

Svitolina believes it is important for tennis authorities to inform the public about this decision to prevent fans from misunderstanding and assuming intentional snubs. Supporting Svitolina’s call for transparency, Aryna Sabalenka emphasized the need for an official announcement to clarify the situation to prevent players from leaving the court amidst an atmosphere of animosity.

Azarenka Breaks Silence on Being Booed at Wimbledon 2023 Amidst Handshake Controversy

Following the incident, Azarenka addressed the crowd’s behavior in a press conference, expressing disappointment and referring to some members of the audience as being drunk. Now, she had a different approach with a message posted on her Twitter account.

“Hi everyone! Took a few days to digest the last few weeks. There is a lot I could say, but the feeling and thought I keep having is, when something great happens to us we usually have gratitude and say thank you. When something unpleasant happens to us we ask why and usually the thank you comes later when we see the reason why after the fact. Whatever happens, happens for a reason (I really believe that) And I want to say thank you and I’ll continue being grateful for the experiences…”, Azarenka wrote.