Victoria Azarenka Moved by Heartfelt Gesture From Young Fans After a Surprise Visit: “Absolutely Think of Them”

Former World No.1 and two-time Australian Open winner Victoria Azarenka is also a proud mother of her 8-year-old son, Leo. While usually Leo is the one seen traveling with her across WTA tournaments, the roles got reversed earlier this week! The 2012 Olympic medalist shared a heartwarming update on social media, revealing her visit to Leo’s school. Not to mention that it went very well, as the Belarusian eventually made new little fans who were in awe after meeting the tennis icon. Making her visit memorable, they even wrote special messages dedicated to her!

On Friday, Azarenka shared a clip on her Instagram account. She informed her followers on how she was invited to Leo’s school. She called the visit a “highlight” of her week. “I actually enjoyed it a ton. The next day, he brought me this folder.” But what did it contain? As it turns out, Leo’s classmates had written some adorable letters to the WTA legend. “The entire class wrote letters to me, and I wanted to share them. It touched me pretty deeply.” She also took her 2012 Olympic medals, a mixed doubles gold and a singles bronze, into the classroom, allowing the kids to see them closely.

Speaking of the letters, they featured hand-drawn pictures of Victoria by the little kids. They praised the tennis icon for her illustrious career and also for being an inspiration to them. Azarenka cited one letter in which a student wrote, “I’m never giving up because of you now.” Giving her reaction to the messages, she said, “(The kids) have no idea how much this actually means to me, because I will keep them (letters), and I will absolutely think of them when I play next time”

While nearly all the letters were cute, the best one might have come from none other than Leo himself! But what did the 8-year-old tell her mother? “One day, I hope I could be like you, just in a different sport,” That’s what Leo wrote. To this, Azarenka responded, saying, “That was very clear Leo”

Basically she acknowledged that he’s not into the racket sport at all. Interestingly, though, it’s not the first time she’s reflected on Leo’s choices when it comes to sports.

When Victoria Azarenka cleared the air on her son’s tennis future

Last year, on December 23, Victoria Azarenka interacted with her fans in a Q&A session. On X, she was responding to their curious questions. When one follower asked whether she would encourage Leo to take up tennis or coach him, the former World No.1 revealed, “He’s not really into tennis, so I’m not sure it will be for him.”

So what’s the sport he actually loves? It’s hockey. The 8-year-old has been inclined to ice hockey as well as soccer. But in general, his passion lies in the hockey stick. This becomes evident from the fact that he’s part of the Florida Kings hockey team. In fact, the mother-son duo even attend NHL matches on a regular basis.

While Leo is not into tennis, it doesn’t bother Azarenka. She fully supports him in what he likes to pursue. Reflecting on the same, she revealed last year during a press conference how she goes crazy during his hockey games. “I’m nuts. I will bring signs and I will support. Everything that I’ve learned from around tennis, that I’ve seen parents who are pushy, who are negative and stuff, I feel like I’m being self-aware to try to do the opposite for my son.”

It’s really sweet to see the bond Azarenka has with Leo. More than that, it’s simply admirable that she’s never persuaded him to take up the racket sport despite being an iconic tennis player herself. What are your thoughts on their adorable relationship? Let us know in the comments below.