Chris Evert recently had a talk with Victoria Azarenka about her career and the 2x Grand Slam Champion had lots to say.
Starting off the interview Azarenka immediately acknowledged the circumstances by which her tennis career came to be calling it 'destiny'. She said:
"My mom started working at a tennis centre. She needed to work and she would give me a tennis racquet and ball to hit against the wall. A coach saw me and that was it."
Speaking when about when her career really became serious Azarenka recalled the time she moved to Arizona, the US at 15:
"As a kid, I became very independent. It's really surreal but it taught me how to adapt to new situations, to rely on myself."
Evert touched upon her transition from Junior to pro that was smoother than most with Azarenka saying: "My first win was in Luxembourg on clay right after Wimbledon." Azarenka was 17 at the time and already ranked in the top 50.
They also spoke about Azarenka's strong spring run in 2016 winning Indian Wells and Miami back to back before going a pregnancy hiatus a few months later. Evert said she believed Azarenka would have been no. 1 by the end of the year while Azarenka said:
"I wasn't sure I was going to touch a racquet again. Mentally it was a tough moment. It started a new chapter for me and I am so different now."
Evert also asked Azarenka about her involvement with the WTA player council to which Vika replied:
"It was really fun for me because it was a different type of challenge. I felt my voice was heard. Was very happy with the impact you can do for others by using your voice."
Check out the full interview below: