Victoria Azarenka, with a ‘mom’s brain,‘ is acing the game as a tennis mom. Beyond her return to sport and athletic achievements, her ‘most treasured role‘ as a mother brings her the most joy. The Belarusian tennis player recently celebrated Mother’s Day with a heartfelt message that highlighted her son and the immense joy that parenthood offers her.

In December 2016, the Grand Slam winner gave birth to a son, Leo. Her return(following June) to professional tennis was difficult; she had only participated in two events in 2017 because of her legal dispute with Billy McKeague, the father of her son, over Leo’s custody. She is, however, currently savoring her son’s company as a mother.

Victoria Azarenka calls out motherhood as the greatest journey

The two-time Grand Slam champion recently shared her happiness as a mother on Instagram. She uploaded a video demonstrating her close relationship with her son Leo, along with a heartfelt message and an adorable photo and a video. “Motherhood is my greatest journey, my most treasured role, and the purest expression of my heart. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers embracing this beautiful adventure,” she wrote.

Not only that, earlier this year, the former World No. 1 shared some amusing changes, that motherhood has brought out in her. Azarenka hilariously conceded in her post-match interview at the 2024 Brisbane International that she has no recollection of the player she was before motherhood. “I have a mom’s brain. Since my son was born, anything before that I don’t remember much… I think a lot of moms can relate to that,” said the 34-year-old after beating Clara Burel in the Round of 16.

Leo is a big sports fan and usually goes to his mother’s events. He is an avid soccer and ice hockey player, and their love of hockey frequently takes them to Canada. As she thought back on their strong relationship, Azarenka said she wanted to set a good example for her son. “It made me become more aware because when as a young girl coming on the tour and I was so focused on myself. But now I’m much more aware of my surroundings, about what’s going on, I pay a lot more attention to the sport and outside it. I want to be a good role model to my son,” explained Azarenka in an interview.

She further went on to explain that she would teach his son the court-related issues with challenging discussions. “But I’ve kind of learned that I would rather have those tough conversations with him(Leo). If something happens on the court, I’ll explain that sometimes things happen and you deal with that.” However, Victoria Azarenka’s 2016 season took an unexpected turn. Learning about her pregnancy, Azarenka was gripped by the fear that her tennis career might be over.

“My first thought was ‘my career is over’,” echoed Azarenka on her pregnancy news

Ranked sixth in the world and fresh off victories in Brisbane, Indian Wells, and Miami (her 20th career WTA title) at the time, pregnancy wasn’t on the agenda. She announced the news on social media, describing it as a difficult decision – a sentiment echoed by her tearful phone call to her mother. Despite the initial shock, which even left Azarenka unsure of the source of her emotions, a deeper fear soon emerged: the possibility that she might never return to professional tennis.

“I was scared,” the 30-year-old Belarusian tells the BBC. “It wasn’t easy.” But then, it was all about knowing I was going to come back, and when I was going to come back,” says the former world number one. “I’m sure a lot of women won’t be able to relate to me but I felt so much better after [pregnancy],” she concluded her thoughts.