"You say I can't? Well, watch me": Victoria Azarenka shares how primary motivation has changed with fourth Miami Open in sight
WTAWednesday, 27 March 2024 at 08:00
Victoria Azarenka took down Yulia Putintseva at the 2024 Miami Open in a 7-6(4), 1-6, 6-3 win over the Kazakh to reach the semi-finals in the hunt for what would be a fourth Miami Open title and the former World No.1 admitted post match that her motivation has needed to be altered from being all conquering to losing it then returning to the former.
Azarenka became a mother to son Leo and said that her primary motivation went out of the window as well as winning multiple Grand Slams and becoming World Number One which meant that she needed to reignite the hunger to win.
"I think there is two different ways to look at it. One is what it motivates you to win, right? For me, it definitely shifted when I was young. And especially where I come from and the way my career was going, one of my top motivations was to prove people wrong and to really, like, you say I can't? Well, watch me. So that was my primary motivation," Azarenka said.
"After I achieved being No. 1, winning Grand Slams, winning gold medal, and so many titles, and probably also becoming a parent, like, that motivation was not a priority for me. It's not something that made me, you know, turn on, like, beast mode," she added.
"So I needed to find what it is I don't need to prove people wrong. I mean, I have a big list of résumé to not do that but to shift and find what it is that's going to motivate me. That's been, I wouldn't say a challenge, but it's definitely a searching process."
"I feel like this year, especially like after the kind of pretty challenging last year, I feel like I was able to at least find that space, and I'm working through that. It's not an overnight thing and, you know, once you got it everything goes smoothly, but I feel like I'm in a good place where I'm on a good track."
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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