"Someone is really missed here" - Victoria Azarenka posts adorable photo of son Leo with Rafael Nadal cutout at French Open
Former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka and her son Leo are among the countless fans around the world who are missing 14-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal at the 2023 French Open.
Azarenka will meet 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu in the first round of the French Open on Tuesday. This will be the first time the duo are locking horns on the tour. Nadal, meanwhile, has skipped the trip to Paris due to injury, the first time since 2004 that the 22-time Grand Slam will not be playing at Roland Garros.
Taking to Twitter on Sunday, the former World No. 1 posted a picture of her seven-year-old son Leo standing behind a cutout of Rafael Nadal on sight at the tournament, adding:
"Bonjour @rolandgarros 😂 someone is really missed here," she tweeted.
someone is really missed here
Bonjour @rolandgarros 😂 someone is really missed here https://t.co/PL8iFW0YYm
Prior to coming into the French Open, Azarenka's Italian Open sojourn came to a premature end when she withdrew before her Round of 32 match against Madison Keys owing to an injury.
Victoria Azarenka trains in Kylian Mbappe jersey ahead of French Open
Victoria Azarenka is leaving no stone unturned in stepping up her game ahead of the French Open. She was spotted in a rigorous training session wearing a jersey of Paris Saint-Germain football star Kylian Mbappe.
An avid football lover, Victoria Azarenka was spotted wearing the jersey of the Paris based club while entering the court before her matches at the Australian Open earlier this year as well, where she reached the semifinals. The Belurasian also wore the same jersey during practice sessions at Indian Wells following that.
Now 33 years old and nearing the end of her own career, the former World No. 1 had recently expressed her dislike about questions surrounding players' retirement plans, saying:
"I feel like when there are players who are older, like me, older in tennis, not older in life, I'm very young still, I see a lot of people keep asking about retirement. Once they retire, it's like, We miss them."
She added that players will let the world know when they are walking away from the game.
"It's like let's not waste this time before everybody retires to talk about retirement. People will let you guys know when it's time, and that's kind of it," she added.
Victoria Azarenka has now become more of a defensive player, a stark contrast from her aggressive nature on the court in her earlier days. After a good run at the Australian Open where she ended as a semifinalist, Azarenka would hope to do a bit more at the upcoming French Open 2023.