
USA Today via Reuters
Mar 14, 2022; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Victoria Azarenka (BEL) is over come with emotion as she leans her head on her racket during the middle of the second set of her third round match against Elena Rybakina (not pictured) during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

USA Today via Reuters
Mar 14, 2022; Indian Wells, CA, USA; Victoria Azarenka (BEL) is over come with emotion as she leans her head on her racket during the middle of the second set of her third round match against Elena Rybakina (not pictured) during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The former World No. 1 Victoria Azarenka is staying strong after a heartbreaking loss to Jessica Pegula at the Charleston Open. Azarenka was one step away from participating in the semifinals of the Charleston Open when the American top seed overcame the two-time Australian Open champion. However, despite her loss, she showed remarkable fortitude and sportsmanship by expressing appreciation and gratitude for her opponent’s win.
Victoria Azarenka expressed her feelings in a sincere post on her social media account, congratulating Pegula. Even after her loss, her remarks convey her excitement to get back into the fray as soon as possible.
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Victoria Azarenka “can’t wait to be back” in the Charleston Open
Victoria Azarenka congratulated Pegula on a well-deserved victory, acknowledging her opponent’s outstanding performance. Furthermore, Azarenka used the occasion to praise the Charleston Open’s organizers for their hard work in making the competition a success, besides admitting the heartbreaking result of the game. “Yesterday was a 💔 but I fought with all my heart. Congratulations to @JPegula for a very well deserved win ❤️ @CharlestonOpen, thank you for the amazing week! All of the people who makes this tournament possible and better every year! You guys are awesome and I can’t wait to be back here again! ❤️ ” she wrote in an X post.
Yesterday was a 💔 but I fought with all my heart.
Congratulations to @JPegula for a very well deserved win ❤️
@CharlestonOpen thank you for the amazing week! All of the people who makes this tournament possible and better every year! You guys are awesome and I can’t wait to…— victoria azarenka (@vika7) April 6, 2024
This is not the first time that Azarenka and Pegula have played against each other on the court. Head to head, Azarenka has won two of the three matches against the American. One remarkable match among them was the one at the Australian Open in 2023, where she scored 6-4, 6-1 against Pegula.
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Even in the Charleston Open, Pegula herself admitted that during the second set, she lost her confidence after watching the Belarusian play her outstanding moves on the court. However, the last and deciding set of the game was in favor of Jessica Pegula. Therefore, Victoria Azarenka’s heartbreak after the match resonated with her fans as well.
Pegula shares her experience “playing some good tennis” with Azarenka
Although the match ended with Pegula’s victory, she confessed her feelings about her opponent’s strong skills during the match. Victoria Azarenka won the second set of the game and the fact that Pegula couldn’t break in that set frustrated her. However, she also confessed that even though she had the points to win the match, the dramatic twists and turns during the game made it a spectacular match.“I thought we were playing some good tennis at the end, but obviously I had match points, 40-0 on her serve,” Pegula said in a post-match interview.
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Victoria Azarenka’s gracious response to her loss is an example of her sportsmanship and an encouragement to budding athletes everywhere.
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