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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 5, 2019

Victoria Azarenka

Wimbledon, London, England

S. HALEP/V. Azarenka

6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. A tough one today. Started pretty well, and then went downhill. Can you explain what happened?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, I don't really know what happened. I started couple games feeling pretty good and stuff and just couldn't find the court. Missed just way too many easy shots, and those things you can't afford, you know, against players, against top players. I mean, not really against anybody, but against top players, when you hit, like, a meter from the net and you miss the ball, you're not going to win.

So I didn't give myself that chance. I created all the opportunities. I didn't give myself a chance. To come out and play like that on Centre Court, very, very disappointed.

Q. Is there anything you put it down to that made you feel like that? Feeling unwell or just not...
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I don't know. No excuses.

Q. You got a code violation for a racquet drop? Did you think that was fair? Seemed a little bit harsh.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I think it was pathetic, to be honest. I understand the no tolerance, whatever it was, two meters outside of the court. I didn't damage no court and anything like that.

I understand the rule, but, you know, in the end, the umpire did tell me something and she was clear that I'm not damaging the court itself, so I don't understand what's the problem.

You know, it's like you have to be with no single emotion on the court, and that's just not tennis. I'm sorry, but it's not.

Q. Is that a problem with Wimbledon more than other slams?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I don't think it's a problem. I just think there should be a little bit of a breathing area. Get punished for every single emotion you're trying to show.

I understand, you know, the responsibility of being respectful to the court and to the ground; I really do. But as I said, it was way far away from the court. I didn't smash anything. I didn't damage no court. Just, come on.

Q. How would you describe Simona's game today?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Solid. She didn't do anything extraordinary, you know, but she was very solid. She kept being solid, taking everything that I was giving, and I gave her a lot.

Q. Are you playing San Jose?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: We'll see.

Q. Early in the year, if I heard correctly, I think you said that you were in New York City by yourself when you were 10. I don't know whether I heard correctly, but was that the case? And could you describe what was occurring?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: What? That I traveled?

Q. Yes.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, I traveled to play tournaments here in the United States, yeah. I wasn't fully always by myself, but I have traveled by myself and obviously wasn't with an adult. But, yeah.

Q. Since your comeback, do you think you have been a little bit unlucky? Simona in the third round here and Osaka at French Open? There have been other slams where you had very tough matches early on?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, I mean, it's fact, yeah, I have been getting all the difficult draws everywhere. I don't think it's only after I came back. It's been always quite common in my career. But what can I do about it? I'm not making the draw, so...

Q. I have been hearing a lot from people behind the scenes that there have been quite a lot of concerns with scheduling of women's matches compared to men's at slams. Just wondering if you had any thoughts...
VICTORIA AZARENKA: First of all, I wonder where you heard that.

Q. Just that's the sort of thing that comes around.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Just comes around, okay.

Q. Grapevine. You know, obviously at the French Open, from a British perspective, we had Jo Konta going out onto the third show court on semifinals day. The men's semifinals in the French being sold as separate ticketed matches, which was the main reason they couldn't be moved, but they didn't do the same for the women's semifinals on the Thursday. I think a lot of people think there is some sort of unfairness or inequality there. Wondering if you felt the same?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, I mean, it's very obvious. It's not only French Open. I think Grand Slams have been more equal in terms of scheduling, which is not the case obviously this year's French Open, which was unacceptable, I believe.

And the rest of the scheduling, there is a big inequality in that, the time slots. It has to be fixed. Women should be getting the same scheduling, same time slots, and, I mean, that's one of the main issues I think with where we are gonna try to fight for this equality. We have been fighting a lot for equality and prize money. This is the next step, for sure.

Q. Was there a particular example at Wimbledon this year you think that's happened or...
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I didn't pay close attention. I'm just talking about in general. I think that's gonna be an internal issue that we're gonna try to figure out first.

Q. And you made a point of prize money. Is it fair to say you don't think the women's game is being promoted as fairly as the men's? A lot of people point to statistics about...
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, we can go back and give, you know, you give ten years of the same exposure and the same time slots as men's get, and then we will look at those numbers and you tell me the difference, okay?

Q. That's what I'm saying.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: That's what those numbers -- might be still the same. Hey, I'm not saying that. But give the same opportunity, and then let's talk about facts.

Q. Do you have any specific goals for the rest of the year, any ranking goal? Winning tournaments?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, try to win every single match I'm going to be playing is always the goal.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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