"Leo calls himself an assistant fitness coach... Oh, God, he's stubborn" - Victoria Azarenka jokes about life on tour with her son
Victoria Azarenka booked her spot in the second round of the Australian Open, coming through a tough three-set battle against Camila Giorgi 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.
Azarenka, who is a two time champion in Melbourne, is among the growing list of mothers competing on the women’s tour. And if her words are anything to go by, she is cherishing every moment.
On being asked about life on tour with her son Leo during her post-match press conference, Azarenka said her son loves watching her compete from the players’ box. Such was Leo’s involvement in the game, she said, that he calls himself the “fitness coach” — constantly coming up with new exercises at the gym.
"He loves watching me. He wants to sit in the box," Victoria Azarenka said. "I'm the one that is I'm going to look too much. I'm mom number one. It's hard for me. He calls himself an assistant fitness coach."
"I actually love that idea of giving him responsibility to come up with some exercises in the gym for me, and we do them together," she added. "I want to involve him in the process and I want him to learn to be educated as much as possible."
Azarenka said she was enjoying the time she gets to spend with Leo, who, she said, was a keen learner. She, however, went on to joke that her son was too stubborn on occasions.
"I actually cherish those things a lot because it's a quality time where we can spend and what we can learn together. I love that process," Victoria Azarenka said. "I'm very happy that he's the kid who wants to learn."
"He's stubborn. Oh, God, he's stubborn. But, yeah, I'm very excited to see him grow because it's really for me exciting to see the development and continue to be part of that," she added.
"It wasn't a perfect match" - Victoria Azarenka on Australian Open win over Camila Giorgi
Victoria Azarenka also reflected on her Australian Open first-round win over Camila Giori, saying it was far from a perfect match for her.
The Belarusian, however, said she was happy to have been able to regroup after losing the second set. She expressed satisfaction on her ability to play well with her back against the wall.
"I'm glad that I was able to regroup for the third set," Victoria Azarenka said. "It wasn't a perfect match, for sure. There are definitely things that I need to improve. But first matches are never easy, so I'm happy that I fought the way I did, that I took chances in the important moments."
"I felt like I actually played better when my back was a bit against the wall than other way around. Yeah, it's a good, solid win," she added.
Azarenka, the 18th seed at this year’s tournament, will take on Clara Tauson next. The Belarusian had reached the semifinal at Melbourne Park 12 months ago.