Victoria Azarenka Withdraws from Miami Open Due to Injury
Shoulder Injury Forces Retirement in Second Round
Victoria Azarenka was compelled to retire from her second-round match at the Miami Open after sustaining an apparent injury early in the second set. The former three-time champion exhibited signs of intense pain, dropping her racket before receiving immediate medical attention from the tournament physiotherapist on court.
Unable to continue, Azarenka retired due to a shoulder injury while trailing Karolina Muchova 6-0. Muchova, the No. 15 seed, promptly assisted her opponent, carrying Azarenka’s equipment off the court.
Match Context and On-Court Assistance
Azarenka, a former world No. 1, encountered a challenging start against Muchova, losing the first set 6-0. The Belarusian player had already displayed physical discomfort and had consulted with the physiotherapist multiple times during the first set.
The situation worsened as Muchova served in the opening game of the second set. At 40-40, Azarenka abruptly dropped her racket and moved to the back of the court, where she appeared to be in distress.
The physiotherapist swiftly returned to the court and provided Azarenka with a chair for treatment, instead of her player’s bench. Muchova approached shortly after to check on her competitor.
Ultimately, Azarenka, currently ranked No. 32, was unable to proceed and officially withdrew from the match due to the injury.
Muchova’s Sportsmanship and Azarenka’s Recent Form
Muchova, who has experienced injury challenges herself, displayed sportsmanship by aiding Azarenka, carrying her tennis bag off the court and onto the golf cart that transported players back to the locker room area.
This marks a disappointing conclusion to the Miami Open for Azarenka, who had demonstrated a strong performance in the first round against Anhelina Kalinina, securing a victory of 6-3, 6-1 on Wednesday.
Son’s Post-Match Appearance
Following her first-round victory, Azarenka was joined on court by her son, Leo, who engaged with the audience by signing “Hello world” on the camera lens on behalf of his mother.
Leo had previously appeared after Azarenka’s first-round win at Indian Wells earlier in the month, even participating in the post-match interview and humorously evaluating her performance as “3.5 minus returning her serve” out of four.
Ranking Implications and Muchova’s Progression
Azarenka’s ranking is expected to be negatively impacted by her unfortunate retirement in Miami. Having reached the semi-finals in the previous year’s tournament, defeating seeded players Qinwen Zheng and Katie Boulter, this early exit means a loss of over 300 ranking points, potentially dropping her out of the top 50.
Due to Azarenka’s retirement, Muchova advances to the third round of the Miami Open. She is now scheduled to compete against either Belinda Bencic or 22nd seed Elina Svitolina in her next match.