Victoria Azarenka has enjoyed a successful career, but she is still looking for ways to improve, and an addition to her coaching team is her latest attempt at achieving that.
The 35-year-old continues to defy her age by playing consistently solid tennis on the WTA Tour, with no decline in her level so far in the first seven and a half months of 2024.
Azarenka started the season by reaching the semifinal of the Brisbane International, beating 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the quarterfinal. Elena Rybakina defeated her in the semifinal.
That was followed by a run to the fourth round of the Australian Open and a quarterfinal appearance in Doha. Her hopes of reaching the semifinal in Doha were ended by the world no. 1 and eventual champion at the tournament, Iga Swiatek.
Azarenka came very close to making the final of the Miami Open in March. She again faced Rybakina in the semifinal and took the contest to a deciding set tiebreak. Unfortunately for the Belarusian, she ultimately fell 4-6, 6-0, 6-7.
Her third semifinal run of 2024 was on grass at the Berlin Open. She won the second set of the semifinal against Anna Kalinskaya on a tiebreak but fell away in the third set in a 1-6, 7-6, 1-6 loss.
The 2012 and 2013 Australian Open champion had some bad luck with injuries afterward. She withdrew from the Bad Homburg Open due to illness, and an even bigger disappointment followed when she was forced to pull out of Wimbledon with an injury.
After returning last week in Washington at the Citi Open, Azarenka competed at this week's WTA-1000 tournament in Toronto, and fans noticed a new face sitting in her corner.
Former US Open finalist and British No. 1 Greg Rusedski sat alongside Azarenka's long-time coach, Maxime Tchoutakian. Rusedski has done much media work since retiring, but he is now becoming more active in the coaching sphere.
inews reports that Rusedski is expected to work with Azarenka until the end of the US Open. He had also worked with the three-time US Open runner-up earlier in the summer at Wimbledon.
It is also reported that a longer-term deal after the US Open is possible if both parties agree. Geographical constraints are the biggest obstacle to this since Azarenka lives in Florida while Rusedski resides in the United Kingdom.
However, another injury problem for the Belarusian could disrupt the pair's ability to work together ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year at Flushing Meadows. Azarenka retired during the second set of her round of 16 match in Toronto against Peyton Stearns.
Azarenka pulled up after a serve, struggling with either a foot or an ankle problem. After taking a medical timeout, she tried to play for a few points but quickly realized it was impossible.
Hopefully, it is just a minor injury, and Azarenka can play at next week's Cincinnati Open. If not, she will undoubtedly do everything possible to be fit for the US Open.