	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2016

Victoria Azarenka

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

V. AZARENKA/D. Kovinic

6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Another quick win. How would you rate your performance so far?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I think it was a good game for me. Stayed, you know, again solid from the first point to the last. You know, first set really started to dictate and create opportunities. I think playing that aggressive on return really gave me a little bit more freedom playing on my serve, as well.

No, just I think played really solid, executed my game well, and happy with that.

Q. Would you say that the consistency is the thing that you are finding back more and more since the start of the season, repeating great performances same level all the time from point 1 to the last?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, I'm just really trying to stay in the moment. And I do want to keep improving from match to match. I think, you know, from now to further, it's just only going to get tougher, so I really want to keep that focus and that intensity and that determination. Really that's what I'm looking for, to keep applying the same effort, ans pay attention to details in preparation before the match.

I think, you know, the whole package is important, so I'm just trying to stay and keep following what works for me.

Q. Do you know anything about the next player you're going to face?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Not yet, but I'll have to study her.

Q. You haven't heard anything about her or seen videos?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Not really. Just heard she has some big -- a big serve and big shots, yeah.

Q. Is it easy to stay in the moment?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: It is for me, because I really enjoy that. I don't want to, you know, think of what happened yesterday or what's going to happen tomorrow. I really want to stay present and enjoy what I do. You know, it comes from on court to whatever I do off court, you know, the prematch, after match, you know.

So I'm really just enjoying whatever is happening.

Q. I heard you say a few times since getting here that you're trying to appreciate the journey, and you have a new perspective on life now than before. Can you talk a little bit about where this new perspective has come from and the process of getting there?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I think it comes from the experience. You know, whatever happens to you kind of leads you towards whatever moment is going to happen.

For me, what I found interesting for me is that it was going the wrong way. You know, I had injuries. I had not much of luck happening. I wanted to look and assess what it is I can do better, what it is I can improve.

First was, you know, getting healthy, and then trying to just enjoy. I don't know. It comes pretty natural, but it did require a lot of self-work and really start, you know, kind of accepting myself for, you know, failures that I had.

And really just accept those and move forward, try to see what I can do better.

Q. Have you exceeded your own expectations so far with your performances? Like do you think you've progressed further than you thought you would?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I don't have any expectations so I don't have anything to compare that to. I don't, you know. I don't set myself for that.

Q. Talk on the tour has been about your form. Do you think on the back of these couple of matches that you are "the" player or one of "the" players to beat?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Irrelevant. Sorry. I mean, I know I always answer the same way, but it's really how I feel. You know, the talk is just opinions. It's not facts. I say that you always have to go out there and you have to prove yourself and you have to play and you have to win, you know, to keep those opinions the same way.

Without that, it's not going to happen. But to me it's just opinions.

Q. Is there any concern about perhaps peaking too early in a tournament, or do you go out to win obviously from round 1?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: No. We'll see what happens. Really not thinking too much ahead.

Q. When you win a match here, you have been doing a very distinctive salute. What is that and where does it come from and what does it mean?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: It's called the dab.

Q. A what?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: A dab. Dab. It comes from American football. A lot of celebration stuff. I think it's really fun. It's entertaining. I love doing it. Cam Newton made it viral and we happen to have the same agent, so I wanted to make my agent smile first. Then Cam heard that I started doing it. I know. I don't know. I just love the sign. I think it's cool.

Q. Injuries, you have had your share of them. Is everything solved for now or are you checking up regularly on the foot or anything?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I'm working on my body. I'm just working on my overall body to be healthy, to be the best fit as possible, and I believe I'm on the right track. I want to keep working hard, because it's still not where I want to be.

Q. You talk a lot about experience and all the things that have happened to you in your career so far. Do you feel like -- I'm not saying old -- but do you feel like a veteran now in your career?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: If you think about it, it's my 12th year being here in Australian Open. Almost half of my life. It's a long time. I still feel young and I think I still have a lot more years to play, so I don't really rate that.

But, you know, I have been around for a long time. It may feel like that. I see a lot of young players coming up, you know, who I haven't seen before. They are a lot younger. But, you know, just a cycle of life, I guess.

Q. Looking back on what you have done in your career, does it feel like it's come quickly or has it been slow or fast?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I think time goes by quick. You know, it really flies. You know, when I was 18 years old it was like there is no way I'm playing after 27. I will be done. I will be doing whatever. I had big plans and everything. And clearly didn't work out so well.

So that's why I think my perspective comes from staying in the moment and really enjoying that, because making plans ahead so much doesn't really work, I guess. (Smiling.)

Q. Do you still have those big plans beyond tennis?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah. I mean, I have big goals and I have a lot of motivation and things that I want to achieve, for sure.

We'll see how long it takes me to achieve those.

Q. Can you share some of those goals?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I don't like to talk about my goals. I'd rather show them and then we can talk about it.

Q. Can you tell us how you perhaps compare how you're feeling in your body and form and your tennis this week compared to perhaps the couple of years that you won here? Are you feel in similar shape or better?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Honestly, I don't -- I think I'm feeling in the best shape body-wise, you know, spirit-wise, everything-wise. You know, my team around me, too.

I don't really remember how I felt back then because I think it was different stage of my career. I was approaching the tournament a little bit different. So it's hard to compare those. I'm just trying to see how I feel right now, and that's the most important.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297