For any family, welcoming a new life is always something to cherish, but for Victoria Azarenka it has turned into a nightmarish ordeal. Ever since she returned from Wimbledon, she has been fighting a custody battle with her ex-boyfriend Billy McKeague. She was forced to pull out of the Stanford Open because McKeague had filed papers to gain temporary custody of her son Leo, whom he had fathered.

Since Azarenka is not an American citizen, it puts her at a disadvantage as Leo was taken away to be with McKeague. Although the two parties have negotiated a 50/50 arrangement, the process of custody has only just begun. It is also understood that the Belarusian is not ruling out the US Open just yet. But custody cases can takes ages to settle and Azarenka will have to prepare for the toughest fight of her life. An Israeli report claims that there will be a hearing in September and if Azarenka skips the US Open to attend the hearing, she could sue for damages from $10 million onwards due to being unable to participate in tournaments and winning prize money.

She has received a Wildcard for the Western and Southern Open, but she has not officially withdrawn from the event. She had missed over a year of play due to her pregnancy and was scheduled to return at the Stanford Open but pushed it up to prepare for Wimbledon.