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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 19, 2015

Victoria Azarenka

CINCINNATI, OHIO

V. AZARENKA/C. Wozniacki
6‑0, 6‑4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Four wins for you over Caroline this year. She's been pretty kind of unlucky to get drawn against you. How have you felt in these matches?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Honestly, I just was focused on today. Not really looking what happened earlier in the year or previous meetings. I was just really trying to do the best as I could and execute my game.
I felt like I was really focused on particular moment and didn't really follow what was going on with the score. Just really tried to stay present and focused, continue to do what I believe will make me a better player.

Q. Saved 10 break points in those games in the second set. What are you telling yourself in those situations?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, I mean, against a player who is top 5 you don't expect to win easy. Doesn't matter what was happening in the first set, there will be always a moment where, you know, she's gonna try to change something. That's why she is where she is.
So in that particular moment, all I could do is‑‑ as I said, I didn't know how many break points I was facing. I was trying to play one point at a time. That's pretty much it. There was no secret there. I just tried to stay focused and hang in there.

Q. Result aside, what were you happy and pleased about with your game today?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I think I was able to do a lot of different things, a lot of variety, a lot of being aggressive and kind of just use all the elements that I can do and apply them in the right moment.
I think I used variety, I used coming to the net. You know, I tried to do everything.

Q. Players and headphones on the court. You're one of the first people I think of who was doing this all the time. Looking back, how did you get the idea, and what do you think of everybody following, I think, following in your footsteps more or less now?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Thank you for that. (Laughter.) Thank you. Yeah, but, I don't know, I have always been really connected to music.
You know, a while ago, I think it was 2011 for me, that I really started to change my warmup routine, and that involved music, really nonstop.
It kind of just ‑‑I just felt really happy and excited when I did that, and I continued to do that. I feel like it's something that‑‑ music is a universal language, and it definitely has a connection to your body, to your mind, to get yourself into a like adrenaline mode, I believe.

Q. I think a lot of players use them to go on to court. What made you want to start doing it that one step further. You do it pretty much all the way to your chair.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, and actually a while through the chair. I love to listen to music pretty much all the time. I wish I could play with it. I actually tried it in practice and it was really fun. I served with my headphones and stuff.
So it was really fun, but obviously can't do that in the match.

Q. Wireless headphones?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah.

Q. I have heard older players, former players, have said they think that sometimes doing it on court can seem rude to the crowd because they feel like when the crowd is clapping when you walk on the court that you're sort of shutting them out, like you're not receiving their applause. Have you thought of that?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, I can see why it can be approached this way, but I don't think that's something really disrespectful. You're just trying to be in the zone and trying to get yourself in the best possible mode.
I think when you really get introduced is while you're warming up, and I always try to raise my hand up and say as a thank you.
So I think this is just part of the habit and I hope people can appreciate that.

Q. When you have these sorts of rain delays and you're looking out and seeing that the rain is falling and you're not going to be taking court any time soon, how do you gauge when you start kind of your warmup, when you get up from the couch and start getting ready for the match when you kind of don't know when you're actually going to get back on court?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: That's actually really tricky, because even though it's raining really hard, you know, after it's done they say like in 20 minutes you're on the court.
So in this way you have to be alert kind of pretty much the full time. I'm not gonna lie, I walked in, back and forth from the gym and there and listened to, you know, audio book and music.
But there's nothing you can do. You can just, you know, kind of waste time, I guess. Something that is really amazing is people still stay and they watch no matter the rain delays. I was talking with Petko a little bit in between, so that always makes it entertaining.

Q. You mentioned an audio book. Are you listening to one now?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, I was listening to Paulo Coelho. It's pretty interesting. It's kind of difficult for me to read books. I don't know why.
But I read a lot like research stuff, but actual book I always fall asleep for some reason.

Q. When you listen, you're okay?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I'm trying that. That's a little bit better for me.

Q. Cool.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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