Interview: VICTORIA AZARENKA AND BELARUS FED CUP CAPTAIN TATIANA POUTCHEK

Written by: on 2nd February 2012
Tennis Australian Open 2012
Interview: VICTORIA AZARENKA AND BELARUS FED CUP CAPTAIN TATIANA POUTCHEK

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus returns to Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 22 January 2012. EPA/BARBARA WALTON  |

Feb. 2, 2012

VICTORIA AZARENKA

AND

BELARUS FED CUP CAPTAIN

TATIANA POUTCHEK

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you tell us what the last few

days have been like for you since you came

back from Australia, how you’re feeling now as

the new world No. 1.

VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, it’s a great

feeling. I don’t think it’s really hit me yet. I’ve been

busy doing a few off-court activities, also dealing a

little bit with the jetlag from Australia is difficult.

It feels great. But I’m here to support my

team and just arrived today. Kind of still feeling the

team spirit.

Q. You went from Australia right to

L.A.?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yes.

Q. Take us how the last couple days

have gone for you.

VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, I was

resting. I did a show, a talk show with Ellen

DeGeneres. Went to see Kobe Bryant play for the

Lakers. That’s pretty much it. A little bit of resting,

relaxing, that’s it.

Q. Was there a point in the match with

Maria Sharapova where you thought you could

win it?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, I was really

focusing trying one point at a time, not thinking

ahead too much, because that’s one of the biggest

mistakes I think to do during the match, if you think

too much ahead. I was really trying to play one

point at a time. That’s it, keep going.

Q. When you go to sleep at night do

you feel like the No. 1, Grand Slam champion?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: No, I go to sleep

exactly the same way. I sleep on my stomach as I

was before (laughter). That’s pretty much it.

Of course, I’m really proud. It’s a great

feeling to have. But I just want to work hard and

try to keep the same motivation as I have now.

Q. What is it like playing on this

surface out here? How have you found it?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, it was my

first time out there today. Just finished practice.

It’s a little bit different, I would say. It’s a little bit

crooked. But, I mean, it’s the same for everybody.

The bounce is a little bit tricky here. It bounces

really high.

But, I mean, in Australia it was also kind of

similar, high. I have a little bit of time to adjust. It’s

good.

Q. Do you feel more pressure being on

the No. 1 ranked player in the world, from your

team, to kind of carry them?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: No. I mean, we

are a team. That’s what it’s all about. It’s not only

one person. It’s about teamwork, team spirit. No,

no pressure. I just met them today.

Q. Do you feel more of a challenge now

that you are the top-ranked player in the world?

Other players are looking at you and are

wanting to take you on specifically?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: It’s definitely

going to be more challenging. A lot of people are

going to have more motivation.

But I feel like being No. 1 I want to work as

I’m No. 2.

Q. Venus Williams hasn’t played since

the US Open. Serena Williams has an injured

ankle. Are you preparing as they will be the

two singles players you’ll face or does it matter

to you?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, we’ll see. I

mean, the U.S. has a great team. Yeah, Venus

didn’t play for a while. But she’s not a beginner.

She knows how to play tennis. Doesn’t really

matter.

Serena has been showing some tennis I

think lately. I don’t know about her ankle. It’s not

my part. But I’m preparing for her to be a hundred

percent, and that’s it.

Q. Talk about the challenge of facing

Venus and Serena. Would you relish the

chance to play them?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: Venus, yes, I

haven’t played her in a while. I just played her in

an exhibition match, which was pretty irrelevant

comparing to now. But, I mean, they’re both tough

players. As I said, they know how to play tennis.

They know how to handle big matches.

Fed Cup is completely different than when

you play for your own. It’s different matches.

We’ve seen in history very different results. So

we’ll see how it goes.

Q. Do you have a preference of which

of the two sisters you’d like to open the

tournament with?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: There’s no

preference really. It’s like you have preference

more when you choose your dinner or lunch.

Q. Now that you’ve won your first slam,

what’s the next goal for you?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: Another slam.

Q. After he won the Australian Open,

Novak Djokovic went a long time without

losing. Are you planning on winning for a

while?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: No, I’m planning

on losing my next match. It’s just a very silly

question, I think.

Q. What kind of mental attitude does it

take to be the best at anything?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: I’d say it’s a lot of

hard work and dedication to be a real professional

24/7. It’s not only when you step on the court you

have to try to be professional and be your best. It’s

all the details and all the things you do off the

court, which are sometimes more important than

when you perform.

Q. Most matches are Saturday. Will

there be time to talk about your games and how

you can help one another?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, for sure.

But we know each other pretty well. The girls on

the team, I’ve know since I was 10 years old,

actually even younger. I mean, we go for official

dinner, bring like a board and draw some plans.

No, I mean, we’ll see. We’re going to have

team meetings like every team does. But we just

try to stay loose and keep our focus for Saturday.

Q. You played a lot of Fed Cup

matches. What is it that you love about Fed

Cup that makes you want to keep coming back

and playing for the team?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: I’m a patriot of

my country. I think it’s important for all the athletes

to participate and play for your country. We do it

pretty much all year long, like Olympic Games.

But it’s a special event. It’s the only the

event where we play as a team. It’s fun. I think it’s

important.

Q. What has the reaction been like in

Belarus?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: You should ask

my captain.

CAPTAIN POUTCHEK: She doesn’t know

yet.

VICTORIA AZARENKA: I haven’t been

there. My mom told me a little bit, that people were

really happy. I’m really proud of that. For me the

most important is that it brings extra motivation for

kids to go out there and chase their dreams,

believing in themselves. Hopefully we’ll have more

competition with the juniors. That’s what’s missing

right now.

I hope this kind of a breakthrough would

help the inspiration for the young ones.

Q. Were you in Belarus?

CAPTAIN POUTCHEK: Yeah, I was. It

was huge. I would say it’s like, I don’t know, 80%

or 90% of population was watching, like everybody.

Everybody was on TV watching the match.

It was spectacular. Everybody talking only

about Victoria, about the first Grand Slam, about

having her No. 1 in the world for the first time. It’s

huge.

Q. Are you going to do anything, like in

Serbia, where you go on a balcony and wave to

everybody?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: I don’t know if we

have the balcony.

CAPTAIN POUTCHEK: We’ll find one.

But now it’s too cold to go on the balcony.

Q. What do you think will happen when

the team returns home?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, it’s not

going to be for a while. We have our plans after. I

have my tournaments after here. So it’s a little bit

difficult, you know, to go back because it’s going to

be a lot of attention. I would like to stay focused

and keep going through the year.

Of course, I’m going to go home, but when

I have a little bit longer break, when I can give a

little bit of time and attention for people, for media,

plus have some attention for myself and for my

family.

Q. After Miami?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: Maybe before

Indian Wells. But don’t write it.

Q. What is your advice for aspiring

athletes to be No. 1, just athletes in general?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, I always

think and say that you always have to have fun.

You know, when you do something that you love,

that you enjoy doing, even though it’s hard, it’s

never going to be easy. But when you have fun,

you always going to do it better because you give

your heart, you give your passion into it. You put

the best chances and your best attitude on your

side.

I think the result becomes more

productive.

Q. What makes tennis fun for you?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: The atmosphere,

the game. I mean, I have huge passion for the

game. My first coach taught me that love of the

game. It’s difficult to explain with the words. But

it’s the feeling every time you step on the court, it’s

like you’re in this bubble that people are focusing

on you, and you try to produce the best as you

can, you’re trying to be the best as you can. But

you have another person who’s trying to do the

same. So it’s this battle. As funny as it sounds,

you enjoy that battle. When it’s hard, when it’s

pain, when it’s hot outside, you enjoy it.

Q. Did you get a chance to talk with

Kobe?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: I wish. I was

sitting there and he looked at me a few times. I

was like, Oh, my God. My mom was so happy to

watch how he was playing. She was like, Oh, my

God, he’s unbelievable. It’s amazing to see it live.

It was my first time as well.

It’s pretty remarkable.

Q. Super Bowl is coming up. Who do

you think will win?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: I’m not really big

football fan. But I think it’s a great game. I’m just

not that into it. But I think it’s very interesting

game. When I get to know few athletes, it

becomes more and more interesting.

I would love to follow it more. My fitness

coach is crazy about it, checking live scores when

we were practicing and stuff. Whoever my team is

cheering for I’m going to cheer for.

Q. If Belarus is able to beat the U.S.

what would that mean for you personally and

professionally?

CAPTAIN POUTCHEK: Well, I mean, I of

course would be very happy for my team and for

the result. I think it’s going to be great for us to

move one step forward to the World Group.

VICTORIA AZARENKA: I think we should

talk about it on Sunday. It’s too early to speak

about it.

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