Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - September 27, 2020 Belarus' Victoria Azarenka in action during her first round match against Montenegro's Danka Kovinic. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann
Current women’s World Number 13 Victoria Azarenka has said that she isn’t too bothered about where she is placed in the rankings.
In an interview with a Chinese sports network, the two-time Grand Slam champion said that she is confident that she still has the game and the ability to reclaim the top rank and win more titles.
The former World Number 1 said she doesn’t believe in chasing a particular goal or result and focuses, instead, on her strengths that she knows can help her recover the ground that she has ceded in women’s tennis.
“I don’t necessarily focus myself on those types of things because I know my abilities and where I can get.
“So, I don’t put a specific result goal because I feel sometimes it’s a bit out of your control. I always make goals of how I can improve myself,” Azarenka said.
The losing finalist at last year’s US Open said she is also focusing on staying in good health and shape this year and the next in a bid to prolong her career.
On getting back to being the top-ranked player, she said that is something for her fans and the game’s followers to obsess about as her prime objective is to give herself the best chance of winning more titles.
“I think the most important (thing), especially this year and the next, is to be healthy and, kind of, going further down with my career.
“But in terms of cracking the Top-10, I think it’s more of an outside view for people, for fans and stuff.
“For me, it’s important to win titles and that’s what I am always looking for, to play big events, to win big events. Those have always been my goals,” said Azarenka, who goes by the nickname ‘Vika’ in women’s tennis.
The 2005 French Open champion said that as long as she is winning more matches and tournaments, the ranking would take care of itself.
“If I can achieve that, the ranking and stuff will take care of itself. I never look at the ranking. I have never done it since I was 17 years old.
“So, that’s not my objective,” the Belarussian star said.
Azarenka became World Number 1 on January 30, 2012 and stayed top of the pile for 51 weeks.