Continue to Hollywoodlife () SKIP AD
Hollywood Life Logo Image

Hollywood Life

Today's Top Stories

  • Darnella Frazier
    5 Things

    Darnella Frazier: About Teen Who Filmed The Viral Video Of George Floyd’s Arrest

  • Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip
    See Message

    Queen Elizabeth Breaks Silence After Prince Philip's Death

  • pencil pants
    SHOP

    Ditch Your Jeans For These High-Waisted Pencil Pants That Are Under $30

Hollywood Life
  • Home
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Celebrity Bios
  • Beauty
  • Fashion
  • Shopping
  • Celebrity News
  • World News
  • Exclusives
  • Politics
  • Celebrity Babies
  • Opinions
ALL NEWS
  • Sofia Richie Rocks A Sexy String Bikini While Hitting The Beach In St. Barts — Photos

  • Drake Looks More Ripped Than Ever While Working Out Shirtless In The Gym — Video

  • Queen Elizabeth Breaks Silence After Prince Philip’s Death: ‘We Have Been Deeply Touched’

  • Award Shows
  • At The Movies
  • TV
  • Music
  • Sports
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Holidays
  • Entertainment Features
  • Podcast
  • Oscar Contenders
ALL ENTERTAINMENT
  • Kate Clover Is Dying To Find Her Punk-Rock Heartthrob In New ‘Love You To Death’ Video

  • Cameran Eubanks Reveals She’d Do A ‘Real World: San Diego’ Revival ‘In A Heartbeat’

  • ‘Teen Mom OG’ Reunion: Amber Portwood Walks Off After Slamming Gary’s ‘Horrible’ Wife

  • Taylor Swift
  • Rihanna
  • Selena Gomez
  • Kim Kardashian
  • Kylie Jenner
  • Kendall Jenner
  • Justin Bieber
  • Miley Cyrus
  • Gigi Hadid
  • Khloe Kardashian
  • Jennifer Lopez
  • Angelina Jolie
  • Harry Styles
  • Kourtney Kardashian
ALL CELEBRITY BIOS
  • TikTok leggings

    The Viral TikTok Butt-Lifting Leggings With Over 55,000 Reviews Can Be All Yours For Just $30

  • Sofia Richie Rocks A Sexy String Bikini While Hitting The Beach In St. Barts — Photos

  • Drake Looks More Ripped Than Ever While Working Out Shirtless In The Gym — Video

  • Fragrance
  • Hair Care
  • Health
  • Makeup
  • Nails
  • Beauty Features
  • Skincare
  • Makeover
  • Diet & Fitness
ALL BEAUTY
  • Halle Berry

    Halle Berry Shares Her Beauty Secrets To Help Boost Confidence & Take Care Of Your ‘Natural Skin’

  • Cardi B Shows Off Blue Hair Makeover While Out In A White Crop Top: Before & After Pics

  • Over 71,000 People Swear By This Hair Repair Treatment To Revive Dead Locks For Spring

  • Red Carpet
  • Weddings
  • Fashion Features
  • Shopping
ALL FASHION
  • TikTok leggings

    The Viral TikTok Butt-Lifting Leggings With Over 55,000 Reviews Can Be All Yours For Just $30

  • Kim Kardashian’s 6 Sexiest Looks Since Her Split From Kanye West: Crop Tops, Mini Dresses & More

  • Happy 95th Birthday, Queen Elizabeth: Look Back At Her Most Stylish Outfits

  • Share This Article
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Email
  • Print
  • Talk
Next Up

Royalty Brown, 6, Expertly Does 4 Back Walkovers In A Row & Dad Chris Raves That She’s ‘The Real GOAT’

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Newsletters
  • Search Close

Trending

  • Bonnie Says
  • Celeb Babies
  • TV
  • Celeb Galleries
  • At Home With...
Search

NewsExpand Menu

  • Celebrity News
  • World News
  • Exclusives
  • Politics
  • Celebrity Babies
  • Opinions
  • Rock The Vote

EntertainmentExpand Menu

  • Entertainment Features
  • TV
  • Award Shows
  • At The Movies
  • Music
  • Sports
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Podcast
  • At Home With...

BeautyExpand Menu

  • Fragrance
  • Hair Care
  • Health
  • Makeup
  • Nails
  • Skincare
  • Beauty Features
  • Diet & Fitness
  • Shopping

FashionExpand Menu

  • Red Carpet
  • Weddings
  • Fashion Features
  • Shopping

TrendingExpand Menu

  • Bonnie Says
  • TV
  • Celeb Galleries
  • At Home With...

About UsExpand Menu

  • About Us
  • Writer Bios
  • Scoops, Tips & Corrections
  • Subscribe To Newsletter
  • Contact Us

Celebrity ProfilesExpand Menu

  • Kim Kardashian
  • Kylie Jenner
  • Justin Bieber
  • Selena Gomez
  • Taylor Swift
  • Rihanna
  • Kendall Jenner
  • Miley Cyrus
  • Gigi Hadid
  • Jennifer Lopez
  • Angelina Jolie
Follow Us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Newsletters
Alerts & Newsletters
  • Jobs
  • Scoops & Corrections
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • California Privacy Rights
  • AdChoices
  • Data Policy
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
© 2021 Hollywoodlife.com, LLC.
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
5 Things
September 11, 2020 9:21AM EDT

Victoria Azarenka: 5 Things To Know About Belarusian Tennis Star, 31, Who Beat Serena Williams At US Open

Victoria Azarenka
AP
Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, reacts during a semifinal match against Serena Williams, of the United States, during the US Open tennis championships, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, right, greets Serena Williams, of the United States, after winning their semifinal match of the US Open tennis championships, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, holds the winners trophy as she celebrates winning the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament during a trophy ceremony Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020, in New York.Azarenka won the tournament after her finals opponent, Naomi Osaka, of Japan, withdrew because of a hamstring injury. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 06: Victoria Azarenka (BLR) returns the ball during her first round match of the Rogers Cup tennis tournament on August 6, 2019, at Aviva Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images) View Gallery View Gallery 5 Photos.
Julia Teti
News Writer
  • Share This Article
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Email
  • Print
  • Talk

Victoria Azarenka is on her way to her first Grand Slam final since the US Open in 2013! Here are five things to know about the tennis champion who defeated Serena Williams in the US Open semi-final.

Victoria Azarenka is on a major winning streak. The Grand Slam tennis champion, 31, who hails from Belarus, defeated Serena Williams, 38, in a high-quality three-set battle in Arthur Ashe Stadium at the US Open semi-final. Although Victoria, known also as Vika, had a slow start in the first set — losing to Serena 1-6 — she found her game, energy and resilience, taking out the 23-time Grand Slam champion in the latter two sets at 6-3, 6-3. Awaiting Victoria in the final, this Saturday, is world no. 9 and fellow two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka. Before the match, learn more about Victoria Azarenka with these five facts!

1) She’s a two-time Grand Slam Champion. Victoria’s best showing at Grand Slams came in back-to-back wins at the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013. There, Victoria defeated Maria Sharapova in 2012 and Li Na in 2013, earning her sole Grand Slam titles. Following her first showing at the tournament, Victoria’s rank moved all the way up to no. 1, making her the top women’s player in the world at the time.

Victoria Azarenka, Serena Williams
Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams pose after Serena won the 2013 US Open. Victoria was the runner-up [Kyodo].
2) Victoria has played Serena before. Prior to their September 10 meeting in Arther Ashe Stadium, Victoria and Serena had a long history of playing each other. Serena currently holds the record for most wins against the Belarusian — 18-5 — but Victoria was ready to answer Serena’s power and make up for past matches during the recent US Open semi-final. In fact, Serena and Victoria met in the finals of the US Open in 2012 and 2013, with both championships going to Serena in incredibly close matches.

3) She’s on a major comeback streak. Prior to defeating Serena in the US Open semi-final, Victoria had a straight-set win over Belgian player and world no. 18 Elise Mertens, winning their quarter-final meeting 6-1, 6-0. Prior to that match, she had a three-set win over world no. 26 player, Karolína Muchová. In the lead-up to meeting Muchová, Victoria hadn’t dropped a set against her competitors. She also won the Western & Southern Open before the start of the US Open, edging out Naomi Osaka when the Japanese player chose not to play due to a hamstring injury.

Victoria Azarenka
Victoria Azarenka gives herself a fist pump after winning a point against Serena Williams during the 2020 US Open women’s semi-final on Sept. 10, 2020 [AP].
4) There was a time when fans weren’t sure Victoria would return to the sport. Victoria’s comeback streak is predicated on the fact that, for roughly two-three years, fans and commentators of the sport weren’t sure she would continue to play. The tennis champion took time away from the sport, dealing with a custody battle with her former partner over their son, Leo, born in December 2016. During that time, Victoria was unable to play as much as she wanted, dropping out of the 2017 season save for the Wimbledon Championships. And when she did return to the court, her draw was nearly always a top seeded player. But now, Victoria is playing the best she has in nearly seven years.

5) She’s a devoted mom. One of the biggest narrative highlights from the US Open 2020 semi-final was that Serena and Victoria were both mothers meeting in a Grand Slam match at such a late stage in the tournament. Victoria welcomed her little boy in December 2016 and regularly posts about him on Instagram. She even setup an Instagram account for her son, Leo, whom she shares with Billy McKeague.

View this post on Instagram

😀 ❤️

A post shared by Victoria Azarenka (@vichka35) on Aug 29, 2020 at 12:33pm PDT

Following her second round victory at the US Open, Victoria aptly shared with the press, “But identifying myself or other players just as mothers, I think that’s not the only thing that we are. I think we are part of, you know, being a mother, we are also tennis players. We are also women who have dreams and goals and passions,” she observed. “My life just began when I became a mother. I’ll say that really openly.”

Watch Victoria Azarenka take on Naomi Osaka at the US Open women’s final on Saturday, September 12, at 4 pm ET on ESPN.

Click to Subscribe to Our HollywoodLife Daily Newsletter to get more celeb news.
  • Share This Article
  • Reddit
  • LinkedIn
  • WhatsApp
  • Email
  • Print
  • Talk
US Open US Open Tennis Championships

More Related News:

  • Serena Williams' Daughter Olympia, 3, Takes After Mommy & Practices Her Tennis Backhand -- Pic
  • Serena Williams' 'Baby' Olympia, 3, Is So Cute Cheering Mom On At The U.S. Open -- Watch
  • Serena Williams’ Daughter Olympia, 2, Plays Film Director With Daddy, Alexis Ohanian -- Watch

Most Read

Wendy Williams, 56, Rocks Daisy Dukes For Solo Outing Amidst Hot New Romance

Wendy Williams

Suri Cruise Sports Long Hair While Posing With Flowers & Goofing Off With Friends On 15th Birthday

Rihanna Wears Completely Sheer Shirt With Silk Robe For Night Out — See The Fierce Look

Rihanna

Hailey Baldwin Rocks High-Waisted Daisy Dukes With A Blazer That’s Longer Than Her Short Shorts

Hailey Baldwin

Cardi B Shows Off Blue Hair Makeover While Out In A White Crop Top: Before & After Pics

Cardi B

Have news, pics or video on a breaking news story?

Send us your Tip

Have news, pics or video on a breaking news story?

Send us your Tip

More From Our Brands

  • 7-Year-Old Gianna Floyd Saw Her Father's Killer Held Accountable on Tuesday
    SheKnows

    7-Year-Old Gianna Floyd Saw Her Father's Killer Held Accountable on Tuesday

  • My Honest Review Of Parade’s New Bralettes, In Sizes XS-3XL
    StyleCaster

    My Honest Review Of Parade’s New Bralettes, In Sizes XS-3XL

  • Look Out for a South By South West + BlogHer Collab Soon!
    Blogher

    Look Out for a South By South West + BlogHer Collab Soon!

  • General Hospital Spoilers April 19 – 30
    Soaps

    General Hospital Spoilers April 19 – 30

    HollywoodLife

    • About Us
    • Advertise With Us
    • Scoops & Corrections
    • Contact Us

    Legal

    • Privacy Policy
    • California Privacy Rights
    • AdChoices
    • Terms of Use
    • Data Policy
    • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

    News

    • Celebrity News
    • World News
    • Exclusives
    • Celebrity Babies

    Connect

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
© Copyright 2021 Hollywoodlife.com, LLC.
Powered by WordPress.com VIP
ad