By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday March 27, 2022
Victoria Azarenka beat a hasty retreat in Miami, after falling behind 16-year-old Linda Fruhvirtova 6-2, 3-0 on Sunday.
The No.12 seed, a three-time champion in Miami, abruptly retired from the match, leaving her opponent, the umpire and fans wondering what exactly went wrong. The 32-year-old elected not to consult with on-court medical professionals and instead headed off court, leaving the umpire confused.
“Vika, we need to wait,” she said, to no avail, as Azarenka made a beeline to the locker room.
Azarenka did not give a post-match press conference but did release the following statement through the tournament on Sunday evening, saying that she has been going through personal problems and should not have been playing on Sunday.
“I shouldn’t have gone on the court today. The last few weeks have been extremely stressful in my personal life,” Azarenka said. “Last match took so much out of me, but I wanted to play in front of a great audience as they helped me pull through my first match. I wanted to go out there and try but it was a mistake.
“I hope to take a break and be able to come back. I’m sorry to the fans for what happened as you were great to cheer for me. It was the only reason I decided to step on the court. I always look forward to the challenge and pressure of competition but today it was too much. I have to and will learn from this.
“I would like to congratulate my opponent and wish her best of luck in this tournament and beginning of her professional career.”