MELBOURNE, Australia | It was 10 years since the former best player in the world Victoria Azarenka last reached the Australian Open semi-finals. That year, on the Rod Laver Arena, the Belarusian then at the top of her game had won her second and final major title to date.
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But this conquest had also been marked by controversy. In the semi-finals, “Vika” took a 10-minute medical break towards the end of the second run.
Her rival of the day, the American Sloane Stephens, had just saved three match points to break her and bring the score to 5-4.
Returning from the locker room, Azarenka had won the meeting in the next game, breaking in turn. Then she told ESPN “she needed to calm down.”
The match was played in sweltering heat in Melbourne and the young champion “couldn’t breathe”.
“It’s like I was having a heart attack,” she said.
At a press conference a little later, she corrected herself, saying she misunderstood the question posed by the American network. “The reason I couldn’t breathe is because my back was stuck,” she said.
Her worst moment
This prolonged medical break and this correction had earned the Belarusian a lot of criticism from the tennis world. On social networks, Azarenka had been called a liar.
Clearly, this episode left its mark. Ten years later, after beating third-seed American Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-1 on Tuesday in the quarterfinals with inspired play, the 33-year-old called the episode “the worst moment ever.” of her career”.
“The way I was treated, the way I had to explain myself until 10:30 p.m., because no one wanted to believe me…”, dropped the 24e seeded in Melbourne.
No villains or heroes
It was impossible to read in the eyes of the former top 10 at this time, because she wears sunglasses in the press conference to prevent the light from giving her migraines.
But the tone left little doubt. Azarenka still had scores to settle. “Do you know what really happened 10 years ago? That’s the problem, ”she replied to the journalist who questioned her on this subject.
Before the start of the fortnight, Serbian Novak Djokovic lamented the fact that he was portrayed as a ‘bad guy’ in the media last year, after his Australian visa was cancelled.
The Belarusian echoed the words of the man with 21 major titles on Tuesday.
“Sometimes there is this incredible desire to write a story with a villain and a hero, she raised. But we’re not villains or heroes, we’re normal humans going through lots and lots of things.”
“Assumptions and judgments, these comments are crap because no one knows the bottom line of the story. I explained it several times and no one believed me.
“It took me 10 damn years to get over it. I finally succeeded.”
Accept fear and anxiety
Beyond this episode, Azarenka said that she had been working for six months to calm the anxiety that sometimes invaded her on the court and which undermined part of her career.
“I try to accept this anxiety, this fear that lives in me, said the veteran. To be neither positive nor negative on the pitch, but simply neutral.”
It seems to have worked for Vika since the start of the fortnight, since at times it looks like the Azarenka of yesteryear.
But don’t tell him. She doesn’t like that expression.
Don’t think about the title
Still, the Belarusian is back in the semi-finals of these Australian Open, which are the scene of her only two career Grand Slam titles.
She will face, tonight or tonight (Eastern time), the Kazakh Elena Rybakina, 22e favorite and champion at Wimbledon last year.
And now that she’s moved on from the events of 10 years ago, does Azarenka believe she’s ready to finally score the treble in Melbourne?
“It’s too early to think about it. I believe that the answers I gave you earlier on my current mentality make it possible to understand that I do not want to think of victory right away.
Live from Melbourne Park
We told you yesterday how much Australians love to drink. This applies to both coffee and alcohol. But they also like to eat. At the Australian Open venue, the food concessions are always busy. And in the most popular corners of Melbourne, you don’t find restaurants on every street corner; instead, they are found all over the street.
Asian cuisine on the rise
There are more than 3,500 restaurants in Melbourne, according to the tourist board, and these serve food from more than 70 countries. But in the heart of the city, it is mainly Asian cuisine that is in the spotlight. And there’s something for all budgets, from small canteens that offer dishes under $10 to $80 plates, from the famous “dumplings” to braised abalone (it’s a sea snail), passing by shark soup.
Kangaroo on your plate
The only place you can see kangaroos in Melbourne is at the zoo… or on your plate. But no, it’s not a meat that all Australians regularly eat at home. Like beef, you can eat it grilled or as a tartare. It is low in fat, high in protein and tender, at least if it is well prepared. And yes, it tastes a bit like beef. Moreover, it is not necessary to travel 10,000 km to eat it: it is sold in Quebec.
Melbourne is tennis
Across downtown Melbourne, a few giant screens allow you to follow the action of the Australian Open live, with a view of the skyscrapers. Sure, it’s not like experiencing the stadium vibe, but it does save on the cost of admission to the central Rod Laver Arena, where on Tuesday a ticket sold for a minimum of $199 for the women’s semifinals, and… $1,200 for Sunday’s men’s final.