#VictoriaAzarenka is set to return for good after all the issues revolving her son’s custody. This is a good news for the sport as the fans are now able to witness the former world number one returning to the biggest stages of tennis, but this time as a travelling mother. Showing determination and grit in every tough situation she is cooped in, Azarenka finally managed to overcome all adversities and started to compete on the tour regularly once again.
After a brilliant start into her comeback, Azarenka struggled against the higher-ranked players and eventually amassed an unsatisfactory 17-12 (.586) win-loss record throughout the year. The Belarusian was efficient on hard courts but failed to find her form in the second half of 2018. She claimed one solitary top-10 win but her lack of success this year could also be credited to her poor luck — the opponents she lost to had an average ranking of 24.8, which is considered extremely high.
High Points of the Season
Azarenka received a tough draw at the Miami Open but was quick to get to business — sealing a comfortable 6-3, 6-0 win over young sensation Catherine Bellis before benefitting from a Madison Keys retirement in the second round. The Belarusian overpowered 20th seed Anastasija Sevastova and her Cinderella run continued with straightforward wins over Agnieszka Radwanska and sixth-ranked Karolina Pliskova — and it felt like 2016 all over again with Azarenka dominating the proceedings. However, the Miami heat overwhelmed the former top-ranked player as she lost to Sloane Stephens for the second time in the month.
The two-time Major champion had to wait until the Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic for her next WTA quarterfinal appearance. She battled past fellow travelling mother Kateryna Bondarenko in a tight opener, before easing past lucky-loser Anna Blinkova within a blink of an eye. Unexpectedly, an untimely back injury affected Azarenka during her quarterfinal match against Danielle Collins where she was forced to retire despite winning the first set.
Her third and final quarterfinal result at a WTA tournament this year came at the Toray Pan Pacific Open. Receiving a wildcard into the indoor tournament, she stormed past local favourite Kurumi Nara and seventh seed Ashleigh Barty to reach the quarterfinals but once again, injuries overwhelmed her as Azarenka retired while trailing 3-5 in the opening set against Camila Giorgi and ended her season prematurely.
Low Points of the Season
Azarenka made her long-awaited return to professional tennis at the BNP Paribas Open, where she received quite a reception from her fans. She started off her Indian Wells campaign with a good win over Heather Watson but it ended in disastrous fashion; against Sloane Stephens, whom Azarenka had a 3-0 head-to-head advantage over, the Belarusian was unable to find her groove and quickly fell in straight sets.
The former world number one’s least preferred surface is clay, and through her results, most of the fans could understand why. She started off with a win over Aleksandra Krunic at the Mutua Madrid Open but a three-match losing streak followed. Azarenka was stunned by Karolina Pliskova in a blockbuster second-round clash and was completely outclassed by Naomi Osaka at the Internazionali BNL D’Italia. Her clay court season finally ended with a tight loss to Katerina Siniakova in the opener of Roland Garros.
This year, Azarenka struggled on grass as well. She slugged through a three-set win over Stefanie Voegele at the Mallorca Open but was overpowered in straight sets by former top-10 player Lucie Safarova. Karolina Pliskova soon became her nemesis as the Belarusian was conquered by the Czech once again, but this time being a straight-sets loss at Wimbledon.
Surprisingly, Azarenka failed to find her best tennis during the US Open Series as well. She strolled past Kristina Mladenovic but fell to a shock defeat against Johanna Konta in the second round of the Rogers Cup. Her Western and Southern Open campaign did not end well either, coming off second-best in her encounter against top-10 player Caroline Garcia.
Looking flawless at the start of the US Open, Azarenka was tipped to do well in Flushing Meadows with terrific wins over Viktoria Kuzmova and a steamroll over Daria Gavrilova. However, she suffered a third consecutive loss to Sloane Stephens in a high-quality encounter.
Season Grade: C
Although Azarenka started her comeback pretty well, the Belarusian failed to back up her results and ultimately ended the year outside the top-50 amidst the high expectations placed on her. It would take a period of time for the former world number one to truly return to her best, but nonetheless, it is great seeing the Belarusian back on tour competing for the titles once again.
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