Victoria Azarenka has given an update on her condition after she picked up a freak injury in the middle of her second-round Miami Open match and retired. The former world No. 1 cried out in pain and needed physio treatment while facing Karolina Muchova last week.
Muchova showed her class during the distressing incident, carrying Azarenka’s bags off the court for her. The Belarusian tennis star has now thanked her opponent as she confirmed she had started her injury rehab.
Azarenka’s Miami Open campaign came to a disappointing end in the second round when she retired while trailing 6-0. The 35-year-old struggled throughout the first set and called the physio multiple times.
Things took a turn in the first game of the second set, with Muchova serving at 40-40. Azarenka suddenly dropped her racket and cried out in pain. She then leaned on the back of the court and appeared to be crying.
The physio came out again, but world No. 32 couldn’t even make it to her bench for treatment and was given a chair on the court. Muchova also rushed over to see if Azarenka was okay.
The three-time former champion in Miami couldn’t continue and she retired from the match.
Azarenka has now addressed her injury for the first time, confirming that there was no long-term damage.
Taking to social media, the two-time Grand Slam champion wrote: “Quick update on my injury: I’ve been working through the diagnosis and have now officially started rehab and training.
“The good news is there’s no long-term damage, but it will still take a bit of time to recover fully. I really appreciate all the messages and support—it means a lot. Thank you also to my opponent, Karolina, for being so kind and gracious.
“Injuries are unfortunately part of what we do, and while this is a setback, I’m focused on overcoming the challenge, putting in the work, and seeing where the journey leads.”
Azarenka’s ranking is set to take a hit following her Miami Open withdrawal.
She reached the semi-final last year and will lose more than 300 ranking points after ending her run in round two.
The Belarusian has yet to confirm when she will return to the circuit but she is defending a lot of points over the next few weeks, having reached the quarter-finals at last year’s Charleston Open and WTA 1000 in Rome.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk