The scene went around the sports world. Victoria Azarenka, two-time Grand Slam champion, who burst into tears in the middle of a match at the Indian Wells tournament and took a few minutes to resume play, while apologizing to the referee who had come to assist her.
• Read also: Osaka, what suffering
Some 24 hours later, the mystery persists. Why the 13e favorite has she cracked on the ground? Azarenka, 32, did not speak to reporters following the third-round encounter, which was lost 6-3, 6-4 to 17-year-old Kazakh Elena Rybakinae seeded Monday.
His social networks do not provide more details, since his Twitter and Instagram accounts were closed following the match, adding to the misunderstanding.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” the 21-time WTA title winner repeated in tears to the referee, who got down from her chair to ask if she needed to be called the physiotherapist.
On the court, Azarenka tried to hide her sadness from the crowd, hiding her eyes with her hands and kneeling on the ground.
Photo AFP
The Belarusian tried to camouflage her sadness by hiding her face.
Seventh double fault
But it was in vain. Her opponent also came to inquire regarding her condition, asking the official if these tears were “normal”.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen this,” she replied.
Azarenka had just served her seventh double fault of the match when she collapsed. She trailed, 6-3, 2-2 and 40-40. Several bandages covered her right shoulder, which suggests that she might have been in pain.
A two-time career champion at Indian Wells, Azarenka has suffered several injuries to the same shoulder since her professional debut.
But Azarenka did not ask to see the physiotherapist. After drying her tears, she placed her first serve in play, then won the rally on an unforced error from Rybakina.
She said she was devastated
Was her distress more mental? Is she distressed by the socio-political context? Would the Belarusian have been the victim of insults, even threats following having recently said that she was “devastated” for the victims of the war in Ukraine and that she wished the end of the conflict, her country allied with Russia?
Photo AFP
Azarenka leaves central waving to the crowd in Indian Wells.
These mysterious tears are in addition to those of the Japanese Naomi Osaka, who broke down in the middle of the second round meeting on Saturday following being insulted by a spectator.
— With AFP
No miracle this time for Leylah
Leylah Fernandez held her ground once morest defending champion Indian Wells, but the power of the Spaniard Paula Badosa finally got the better of the Quebecer on Tuesday in the round of 16.
The fifth favorite of the tournament won 6-4 and 6-4 following a confrontation of 1h 42 min more hung than the score indicates.
But the 19-year-old Lavalloise offered too many gifts on her serve to hope to overcome Badosa, clearly at ease in the Californian desert where she has a 9-0 career record. The latter had 12 opportunities to break and took advantage of them three times.
The 24-year-old athlete scored the first break of the game at 3-3, first set. Fernando, 18e seeded, managed to immediately pick up the score, but Badosa broke once more in the next game and then spun with the set.
“A difficult game”
The world No. 7 only needed a break in the second set. Leylah did get four chances to break during this set, but didn’t materialize any of them.
“It was a difficult match, underlined the Spaniard on the ground, a few moments following his qualification for the quarter-finals. Leylah is a great player, very fast, with an excellent sense of the game. I knew I would have to fight. I am very happy to come out of it with the victory. »
This setback puts an end to the beautiful streak of seven wins of the left-handed, started in Monterrey where she won the title a week and a half ago.
However, she remains in the running in doubles, alongside the French Alizé Cornet. The pair will play their quarter-final match this followingnoon, once morest Czechs Marie Bouzkova and Lucie Hradecka.