Victoria Azarenka reunites with Jessica Pegula for final practice ahead of 2024 season: "My favourite"

Former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka shared a training photo with Jessica Pegula just days before the start of the 2024 season. The current world No. 5 will lead the U.S. team alongside Taylor Fritz in the United Cup. The Americans are the defending champions of the tournament, having defeated Italy in the 2023 final with a convincing 4-0 victory, including Pegula's triumph over Martina Trevisan in the opening match.

With the absence of the Russian and Belarusian teams from the United Cup, the 3-times Grand Slam champion will kick off her year at the Brisbane International. The tournament boasts the participation of eight top-20 players in the main draw. Facing significant challenges ahead, including the Australian Open in three weeks, Azarenka shared a photo with Pegula on her social media, captioned: "Last practice of the pre-season with my favorite @JPegula."

In an interview in January of this year, Belarusian tennis star Victoria Azarenka expressed her admiration for Jessica Pegula, both on and off the court. Azarenka highlighted Pegula's exceptional skills and consistency, not only in the past year but in the years leading up to it. She stated, "I mean, she's an amazing player. Her stability and consistency throughout, I wouldn't only say last year, I would say the years before that. She's been an incredible player."

Azarenka also emphasized the strong friendship she shares with Pegula, saying, "She's a great friend of mine. I absolutely adore her. We have really tough battles every single time. We practice with each other."

Belarusian tennis star Victoria Azarenka faced both triumphs and challenges in the 2023 season. Despite reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open, a tournament she had previously won in 2012 and 2013, Azarenka fell to Elena Rybakina in a closely contested match with a score of 6-7, 3-6. Another notable performance for Azarenka was her quarterfinal appearance at the WTA 1000 Guadalajara Open, where she was defeated by the third seed, Caroline Garcia, with a score of 3-6, 4-6.

While Azarenka didn't secure any singles titles, she did claim a trophy in the Madrid Open doubles event alongside Beatriz Haddad Maia, defeating none other than Pegula, who partnered with Coco Gauff.

On the other hand, Pegula maintained a consistent top-5 ranking throughout the year, replicating similar results to the previous season. Despite reaching the quarterfinals at both the Aussie Open and Wimbledon, Pegula faced challenges progressing beyond the elite eight in Grand Slam events. With a remarkable 59-18 record, Pegula secured two singles titles at the WTA 250 Korea Open and WTA 1000 Canadian Open.

She also played in three additional finals, most notably finishing as the runner-up in the WTA Finals, where she suffered a comprehensive defeat against Iga Swiatek with a score of 1-6, 0-6. Pegula further demonstrated her prowess in doubles, clinching two titles and reaching two more finals, all alongside her partner, Coco Gauff.