Victoria Azarenka draws attention with quirky Nike x UNO shoes at Miami Open 2023
Victoria Azarenka is not only famous for her tennis prowess but also for her striking and quirky fashion choices. The Belarusian recently captured everyone's attention with a colorful Nike shoe at the Miami Open, which the sporting giant released in collaboration with the globally famous card game UNO.
She sported the Air Force 1 '07 QS x UNO for an interview with Tennis Channel which caught everyone's attention.
The WTA's official Twitter account posted a photo of her shoes and asked fans to guess which player had worn them.
🟩
🟥 g 🟨 u 🟦 e 🟩 s 🟥 s 🟨
🟦 w 🟩 h 🟥 o 🟨 ! 🟦 👇 🟩 https://t.co/HXXoHufgj8
The WTA later revealed that it was Victoria Azarenka who had worn the colorful shoe. The account revealed the answer with a pun stating that the shoe was worthy of a former world numero uno.
"Kicks worthy of a former World Numero UNO" the WTA tweeted.
Kicks worthy of a former World Numero UNO 😎
@vika7 | #MiamiOpen https://t.co/sJRigjdMrS
The 33-year-old is set to play in the second round of the WTA 1000 tournament against unseeded Italian Camila Giorgi on Thursday, March 23.
At Indian Wells this year, Azarenka succumbed to a defeat at the hands of Czech Karolína Muchova 7-6(1), 6-3. Although Azarenka will not be able to complete the 'Sunshine Double' this year, she sure has stepped into the Miami Open in style.
A look back at Victoria Azarenka's Sunshine Double triumph
Victoria Azarenka is one of the few players to have completed the 'Sunshine Double', which means winning both the Indian Wells title and the Miami Open title in the same year. She achieved this feat in 2016.
The former World No. 1 won the Indian Wells Open in 2016 against American legend Serena Williams, beating her in straight sets 6-4, 6-4. In the quarter-final match of the Indian Wells Open, Azarenka defeated Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova in one of the most dominant displays of her career as she won the match, producing two bagel sets 6-0,6-0.
That same year, 13th seed Azarenka captured the Miami Open by taking down Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-2, thus completing her 'Sunshine Double'. On her way to clinching the title, Azarenka defeated second-seeded Angelique Kerber in the semi-finals and fourth-seeded Garbine Muguruza in the fourth round.
Overall, the 33-year-old has won the Indian Wells title twice, once in 2012 and another time in 2016. She has won the Miami Open title thrice in her career in 2009, 2011, and 2016.