Victoria Azarenka explains why she’s wearing PSG shirt at Australian Open after win over Sofia Kenin
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Updated 16/01/2023 at 15:12 GMT
Victoria Azarenka has been wearing a PSG shirt at tournaments in Australia this season and has explained that her son dreams of playing for the Ligue 1 team. The 33-year-old progressed to the second round of the Australian Open on Monday before appearing in the Eurosport studio wearing the football shirt. The former champion faces Nadia Pordoroska next in the second round.
Azarenka has 'high ambitions' for Australian Open after beating Kenin
Former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka has explained why she’s sporting a Paris Saint-Germain shirt at the 2023 Australian Open.
The 33-year-old opened her campaign in Melbourne on Monday with a straight-sets win over fellow former champion Sofia Kenin.
Azarenka might have caught the eye of curious PSG fans after sporting the French champions’ shirt this season at the Adelaide International and Australian Open, as well as during an interview with Eurosport on Monday.
The two-time former Australian Open champion told the WTA that her recent fashion choices are all down to her seven-year-old son Leo.
"He saw me wearing the shirt; he will wear the shirt so we're matching," she said.
"I have been supporting them since 2012, since [David] Beckham was signed to the club. I have been a fan for a long time and been to many, many games."
She added that Leo looks likelier to become a footballer than follow in his mother’s footsteps and pursue a career in tennis.
"He wants to play at Paris Saint-Germain. That's his dream," she said after beating Kenin 6-4 7-6 (7-3).
"I'm a soccer mom now and I love that," she added.
"I love supporting. I'm obnoxious, like absolutely the most obnoxious. I yell, but I'm very positive. I'm actually very proud because it's a completely different emotion for me to support my son. I have no shame screaming for him, like zero.
"I actually even asked him, 'Leo, do you like when mommy supports you?' He goes, 'Yeah, I love it, Mom.'
"Am I not too loud? He goes, 'Well, sometimes, but it's OK. I like it.' So it's a wholesome moment for me, for sure."
World No. 25 Azarenka won back-to-back Australian Open titles in 2012 and 2013 but hasn’t made it as far as the quarter-finals since 2016.
She faces world No. 196 Nadia Pordoroska next in the second round in Melbourne.
Speaking in The Cube on Eurosport, Azarenka said: "I was extremely nervous before my first match so that didn’t help me too much but I felt that mentally I stayed strong and I was just trying to keep my focus on the ball.
"My ambitions are high, I feel if I didn’t have them I wouldn’t get to where I was. I really want to see how far I can go. I had a couple of great matches in Adelaide and I feel like it’s working. I didn’t play a ton last year so I hope I can be more consistent this year.
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