Speaking with Christopher Clarey of the New York Times, two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka clarifies that Caroline Wozniacki wasn’t the only top WTA player to be suffering from heartbreak in 2014.

Read the full New York Times Piece Here

“I did get my heart broken; I really did,” Azarenka told Clarey in an exclusive interview. “I’m over it, but it was broken, and I’m not afraid to admit that it was.”

Azarenka, who suffered an injury-riddled year in 2014 and plummeted to No. 31 in the WTA rankings, will try to pick up the pieces and regain her top form in 2015, a quest that will begin with a battle with Karolina Pliskova in Brisbane on Monday.

See the WTA Brisbane Draw Here

Azarenka is upbeat about her prospects, and she knows she can get back to the top of women’s tennis if she dedicates herself and stays healthy.

“I think the toughest part is to admit that you weren’t okay,” she told Clarey. “Somebody asked me at one stage, ‘Are you depressed?’ and I said ‘Are you kidding me? I’m not depressed.’ But you know what? I was.”

Azarenka played only 24 matches in 2014, suffering from foot and knee injuries, and the 25-year-old hardly played in the first half of the season. When she did play it was clear that she was nowhere near her top form and her matches often devolved into battles between Azarenka and her physical ailments, while questions lingered about the decision-making process that led to her taking the court.

Still she managed two Grand Slam quarterfinals in 2014, and after three months away from competitive tennis, there’s no reason to believe that Azarenka can’t quickly become a big factor on the WTA tour—if her health allows her to.

Photo Source: Christopher Levy