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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 12, 2016

Victoria Azarenka

Indian Wells, California

V. AZARENKA/Z. Diyas

6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Where are you regarding your game and how you feel about your next opponent?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I don't know if my opponent is announced yet. I don't know. I think they're still playing.

I think coming into an event like this the first rounds are always tricky, especially having your opponent already in the tournament and you kind of starting on a starting point.

So I'm glad that I was able to go through this match. There are things that I felt like should have been better. You know, felt a little bit rusty.

But it was a good moment to be aware and bring that -- you know, to improve for the next match.

Q. Did you have to take any time off with the wrist and everything? How long did it take until you were practicing pain-free and are you pain-free?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, yes, I am pain-free. It took me about six days to not do anything on my left wrist, which I was lucky that I was able to keep playing with my right hand. But I took a couple days off to completely see what happened.

Those things, sometimes it's more precautionary, in a way. I want to be smarter about my body than I was before and make sure that I don't take myself to a position that I have to recover for a lot longer. So I'm trying to manage that better, and I think that was the right decision.

Q. Do you think that you didn't manage it so well in the past, with your ankle and things like that?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Definitely not. Those are lessons that had to be learned the hard way.

You know, anything in terms of schedule, in terms of tournaments I'm going to play, I'm going to make smarter decision how I feel and not to try to please anybody but to really what's the best thing for me.

Q. Harder to please other people or to please yourself?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I would say probably to please myself just because I'm that demanding on me. But I just, I guess, don't care what other people think anymore. Which is a lot of hard work.

Q. In Australia you said you were going to give yourself a day to feel that loss and move on and get to work. Is that how it ended up working out? Did it linger on?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah. It wasn't pleasant, that's for sure. I think the most difficult was to rewatch that match. But, you know, as I said, I'm going to do whatever it takes for me to be playing at the best level as I can.

I want to challenge my potential and see where I can go.

Q. What did you see when you were re-watching the match?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: That it was my match to win, and that's painful to see sometimes. But it's good.

Q. What do you make about what's going on about the current issue with drugs and whatever?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, it could be a long conversation. Of course I'm aware. I have read a lot of things and a lot of comments from the players and from the fans and from different people.

I think that whatever is said is okay. You know, from the fans' perspective it's tough, because it's -- you know, she's been such a great role model for a lot of people. So I think that's very disappointing.

But from the players, a lot of players are upset and disappointed, and I think that's also okay. There is a lot of criticism. That's also okay.

You know, but for me, the most important is what happens to our sport. The personal -- my personal comments on the action of Maria is not going to be -- I'm not going to make my opinion in press.

If I ever want to have my opinion in press I'm going to write about it. I think that's the easiest way for me to really describe my feelings and emotions towards that.

But for the sport, I think it's important that we keep our integrity of the sport. I think tennis has been one of the biggest sports with a really high reputation, and we should keep that way.

Especially for the women's game. There is going to be the dark cloud on the women's game for that reason, and I hope that it gets resolved.

But I don't have enough knowledge on that. I mean, I read probably as much as everybody else. I don't know enough on the situation to make a statement or even if I -- I don't think I'm in a position to do that. I think it's the job for people who actually know more details and investigating.

I just hope it's taken seriously for the sport that we all love so much. I just want to make sure that we have great reputation, especially for women.

Q. You said a moment ago a lot of players were upset. Upset about what?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I think if you read some of their comments and statements in press conference, that was my feeling, upset. Does that make sense?

Q. Not really. Upset that this potentially performance-enhancing...
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, that's what I'm saying. There is not enough details out and, you know, whatever. So whoever people investigating, whatever is happening, I would ask a lot more questions before I make my opinion or my -- yeah, my opinion.

So I think there is a lot more to know to the story, and I hope it just, you know, gets clean and we move on. Because for other players it's definitely a hit, as well, because a lot of players are going to be questioned now. We are all going to get tested even more. Which is good. I think it's great for the sport to show that our sport is clean, because I truly believe it is. From my standpoint. I can only speak for myself.

Q. How are you feeling about your game, just generally at this point, at this stage? I know you haven't played a lot in recent weeks.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, I haven't played too many tournaments. I worked a lot on my game, my physical condition, because as I mentioned in Australia, this is going to be a progression for me.

I did a little bit of changes there, which I'm very happy about. So I see a lot of progress already on the practice court. I just want to make sure I'm able to transit that in matches and keep moving forward.

Q. Today did you feel good out there?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I felt good, but first matches are a little rusty. I just want to keep improving from there.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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