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Victoria Azarenka, the 33-year-old Belarusian professional tennis player, recently spoke out about a difficult experience she had in her professional career 10 years ago. She felt she was treated unfairly and had to repeatedly defend herself. In the exclusive interview, she shared how she could understand what Novak Djokovic felt after facing media criticism. Azarenka shared that it was one of the worst things that she had ever gone through in her professional career.

She also mentioned that it took her a long time to get over this experience and that she is only able to move on now. Azarenka’s comments come after a similar statement made by fellow tennis player Novak Djokovic, who also spoke out about the pressure and scrutiny he faces as a professional athlete.

Azarenka empathizes with the Serbian legend, Novak Djokovic

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Novak Djokovic recently opened up on the criticism he faced from the media, which was later supported by Victoria Azarenka. Azarenka and Djokovic’s statements highlight the pressure and scrutiny that professional athletes often face. She shared how fans and media can contribute to a narrative.

During her post-match press conference after her quarterfinal victory, Azarenka specifically called out this “incredible desire for a villain and a hero story that has to be written,..” She shared how assumptions and judgments can be hurtful and unfair. She also added, “I actually can resonate with what Novak said the other day.”

via Imago

Professional athletes are not just characters in sports, but real people with personal struggles and experiences. Azarenka explained, “we’re not villains, we’re not heroes, we are regular human beings that go through so many, many things.”

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Azarenka chimed, “it took me 10 f**king years to get over it.” This highlights the long-lasting impact negative public perceptions have on individuals’ mental health. She apologized for using profanity in her statement and expressed concern about potential fines for her language.

Azarenka once talked about the controversy surrounding Djokovic at the 2022 Australian Open

The Belarusian had a powerful voice when she was a part of the WTA players’ council in 2022. At one of the news conferences, she shared her thoughts on the Djokovic vaccination debate. During the post-match press conference in 2022 Australian Open, she was asked about the vaccination of the players, and her reaction was fairly brief.

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She shared how she respects the rules of the game and explained how the rules are aimed at ensuring the safety of all tennis players. Azarenka also spoke on the Novak Djokovic incident, emphasizing how it was avoidable. She remarked on how the situation had unnecessarily become a circus.