Victoria Azarenka is relishing the opportunity to take on Serena Williams in Thursday’s US Open semi-finals, where the Belarusian will be looking to extend her 10-match winning streak.
Before arriving in New York last month to play the Western & Southern Open and the US Open, Azarenka hadn’t won a match in a year, and personal problems followed by the coronavirus-induced hiatus limited her to playing just two events within that 12-month period.
The former world number one, who is a two-time major champion and a two-time US Open runner-up, considered retirement on multiple occasions, as a custody battle with the father of her son Leo took a toll and made it difficult for her to travel.
Earlier this year, right before the tour’s suspension, Azarenka decided to give tennis one last shot.
Last month, that decision was finally rewarded as the 31-year-old lifted her first trophy since 2016, by winning the Western & Southern Open, which was relocated from Cincinnati to New York to allow players to remain in the same bubble for that event as well as the US Open.
Now, Azarenka is just two victories away from pulling off a “Bubble Double” but she must first square off with the third-seeded Williams, who is chasing history with a record equalling 24th grand slam on the line for her.
Azarenka is 4-18 head-to-head against the 38-year-old American, but she has always played tough, even when she loses.
“There’s no one as tough mentally as Serena. I love that challenge,” Azarenka told journalists after her 6-1 6-0 victory on Wednesday over Belgian 16th seed Elise Mertens.
“I love playing against Serena. I think we have one of the best matches – at least that I played in my career – against her,” said the Belarusian, who lost two US Open final matches to Williams in 2012 and 2013.
Vintage “Vika” – as she is popularly known – has been on full display these past two weeks and the one common denominator across all her wins so far has been the happiness she has felt both on and off the court.
“It took me a long road to come here with a lot of struggles … forcing me to find this route, this path, if you can say that. But I’m here and I’m happy,” she said.
