A mix of sad and fun moments was witnessed at the QF of the Grass Court Championships featuring two of the biggest stars in women’s tennis! The former world number one Victoria Azarenka took on the 2022 Wimbledon Champion, Elena Rybakina to book a spot in the SF of the tournament in Berlin. However, Rybakina was forced to retire after just 15 minutes of the match with the score put on hold at 3-1 in favor of the Belarusian. However, shortly after a few moments of securing her spot in the SF, Azarenka was spotted playing a few rounds of tennis with her son, Leo.
This heartwarming moment of the mother-son duo became viral on social media within a few minutes. However, things are looking quite gloomy for Elena Ryabkina at the moment. Can she get fit well in time before the Wimbledon this year? The iconic tournament starts on July 1 and will go on till July 14. Rybakina complained of feeling a bit dizzy during the match. Fans are now keeping their fingers crossed to see her back in action in London.
Recently, WTA posted an update on Rybakina confirming the exact reasons for which she had to withdraw from the match against Victoria Azarenka. They wrote that the world number four was “forced to retire due to abdominal pain“. Her coach, Stefano Vukov, and her fans inside the stadium looked quite concerned seeing her struggle like that. However, this isn’t the first time this year that Rybakina was spotted struggling with her health issues.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
poor Elena, she really looked like she was gonna faint 😭😭 i hope she will be okay soon…
this is what happened, she relatively looked okay then made a double fault and well… pic.twitter.com/Gy8zkj4AiZ
— Elena Rybakina | Fanpage 🐠 (@lenarybaqueena) June 21, 2024
She had to pull out of the Indian Wells Masters earlier this year due to a gastrointestinal illness. Elena Rybakina revealed that time how her illness stopped her from engaging in any physical activity for 8 consecutive days. She felt discomfort in Miami as well and then again she had to withdraw her name from the Italian Open. Elena Rybakina has already won three titles this season. Apart from that, she has also reached two finals, one SF and two QF in her previous tournaments year.
However, persistent problems with gastrointestinal issues, allergies, and sleeping issues have caused her a lot of trouble over the last few months. Now coming back to the other event which took place at the same venue. An event that made the fans a bit cheer up and the credit for this completely goes to Victoria Azarenka and her son, Leo. Azarenka has often opened up about her son’s wish to come to her matches. This time, Leo not only came to the venue but also played tennis with his mom!
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Victoria Azarenka doesn’t want to push her son towards any particular sport
Both Azarenka and her son, Leo share a common love for multiple sports. Sometimes they are seen showcasing their love for soccer, and then at times portraying their passion for the NHL but what about tennis? Well, this recent incident is a perfect example of how both of them also love to play the racquet sport. Last year Leo was seen in the stands during the Libema Open. Recalling that moment Azarenka had stated, “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.”
Funny moment on the court with Victoria Azarenka and her son Leo playing some tennis pic.twitter.com/8LBJxOYW7Y
— Talking Tennis (@TalkingTennisTT) June 21, 2024
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Even this year, Victoria Azarenka’s son made an appearance at her mother’s post-match interview in Charleston. Fans love to see these moments involving this mother-son duo. However, what are Azarenka’s thoughts on seeing Leo as a future tennis player? She said, “I feel like 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.” Share your love for this sports-loving mother-son duo in the comments section.