“Effort Is Non-Negotiable”- Victoria Azarenka’s 7YO Son Goes Gaga About His Mom’s Undying Spirit Post Charleston Open Win

Victoria Azarenka‘s son, Leo recently made his debut appearance at the Tennis Channel Desk after his mother’s emphatic victory in the first round of the Credit One Charleston Open. Azarenka sealed the deal against Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto by a 6-1,6-2 margin in just 1 hour 10 minutes at the Althea Gibson Club Court on Wednesday, April 3. What did Leo say about her mother’s performance?

The match was already delayed by more than 6 hours due to the rain. But the Belarusian tennis star started to dominate the match right from the word go. Azarenka’s son heaped praise on his mom’s grit and never-give-up attitude during the match.

“Effort is non-negotiable” -Victoria Azarenka’s son shares their pre-match motto

During the interview with Steve Weissman, Leo said that it was good that his mom won the match, and he absolutely liked the way she did it. Talking more about her mom’s performance, Victoria Azarenka’s 7-year-old son said, “It was great. My mum was just like hard and she didn’t give up.“

Later on just before wrapping up this beautiful interview of the mother-son duo, Leo didn’t forget to reveal their secret joint pre-match motto. He said his mom told him to always believe in a single motto, i.e. “Effort is non-negotiable.” Being a mother and traveling around the world to play at the highest level of the game can be a tough ask at times. Just a few months ago, Victoria Azarenka spoke about how she has been balancing her professional career and motherhood over these years.

While speaking to Sky Sports during an interview, Victoria Azarenka revealed that she wants to be a good role model to her son. So, it’s very important to control one’s emotions during a match, which she feels can be a difficult job at times. Azarenka said she has now learned to have a tough conversation with her son and explain to him how to deal with those tough moments on the court, rather than just avoiding them. She’s happy to have those deep conversations with his son. But how has motherhood influenced her tennis career?

Azarenka talks about the “Biggest challenge” that she faces nowadays

In the interview, she revealed, “For me the biggest challenge, I would say, was an emotional attachment is kind of carrying that guilt of having time for myself and planning my day to be sometimes a little bit selfish. I had a feeling that I don’t want to miss out on really anything when he’s growing up.“ She wants to spend every little moment of her life with her 7YO son.

But when Leo turns up in the stands during the matches, Azarenka reveals that it becomes really tough for her to focus on the game. “So now my son wants to come to my matches (smiling). It’s still a bit of a hard feeling for me because I get a bit distracted,” Victoria Azarenka.

She went on to add. “I have tried that in’s-Hertogenbosch, and it was a very awesome moment to share. But at the same time, it kind of takes me a bit, you know, into my mom mode too much rather than being a tennis player.” Share your thoughts on these beautiful moments shared by this mother-son duo on the tour.

READ MORE: Victoria Azarenka Leads by Example as She Turns Disciplinarian to Teach Crucial Lesson to 7-Year-Old Son