A Year Without Tennis. Where Did Victoria Azarenka Go and What Is She Doing?

The last time we saw Victoria Azarenka on the court in an official match was on August 29, 2025. At that time, she lost in New York in the third round of the US Open to the then fourth-ranked player in the world, American Jessica Pegula, with a score of 1–6, 5–7. More than a year has passed, and Victoria Azarenka has not clarified to the public what her sporting status is, whether she has retired or if she will return to competition. In general, Victoria has rarely spoken publicly about the end of her sports career. And even then, mainly after relevant questions, which, apparently, annoyed her a bit. "Older tennis players are often asked about retirement. And as soon as they leave, everyone is like, 'We miss them.' Let’s not waste time talking about retirement until the athlete announces it themselves. People will let you know when the time comes. I constantly see comments about age, so I just ask – don’t meddle in other people’s business. When a person is ready, they will announce it one way or another," Victoria Azarenka shared her opinion in an interview. **Personal Moments** After her defeat at the US Open 2025, little is known about the athlete's life, mainly from her posts on personal social media, the number of which has also significantly decreased over the past year. It is known that last autumn, Azarenka flew to Belarus with her son Leo and attended a hockey match with him. The athlete spends most of her time in the USA, where, apparently, she has dedicated herself mainly to family matters and relaxation. "Being a mother is a great privilege in my life. Happy Mother’s Day" – with this message on social media in May, Victoria Azarenka broke her months-long public silence on the occasion of Mother’s Day, which is celebrated in some countries on the second Sunday of May. In a more detailed post in July on the occasion of her 37th birthday, the tennis player said: "For the first time in a long time, I didn’t make any wishes. I just felt gratitude. Gratitude for being here and now, enjoying the moment, and appreciating the people around me. I also spent some time away from the public eye, and that gave me the opportunity to enjoy quiet and personal moments, as well as family, which I didn’t have in my childhood. These moments have become incredibly meaningful to me." Judging by this post, a return of Victoria to the professional court is not planned. At least, not for now. It is possible that Azarenka will still delight her fans with her game. After all, there is the example of one of her main rivals in her sports biography, 44-year-old American Serena Williams, who admitted that she missed tennis and returned to competition this year after a 4-year break. By the way, fans said goodbye to Serena in 2022 during the US Open. At that time, the athlete stated that after the tournament, she planned to focus "on more important things than big sports." However, she did not use the phrase "retirement." Just like Victoria Azarenka...