Azarenka si professa ottimista (Espn)

9-1-2013

For Victoria Azarenka, winning the Australian Open last year meant she had officially arrived. It gave the heavily touted 23-year-old from Belarus her first Grand Slam title, installed her at No. 1 and made her the new face of the up-and-coming generation.

Now, her return Down Under is expected to say a lot about whether she's here to stay. Can she defend her title, hold on to No. 1 and take the next step by winning a second major?

Thanks partly to the revolving door at the top of the women's game the past few years, Azarenka has been facing those questions since she hoisted the trophy. In response, she has largely let her racket do the talking, and though unable to respond with a second Slam victory last season, her sustained performance has kept her on an upward trajectory.

Now she is tasked with backing up last year's gains, even though Azarenka would prefer to see 2013 as a new start.

"I'm here to win the tournament, not to defend really anything," she said.

"There are 128 girls, and I'm really looking forward to that challenge and that competition. The feeling I had last year, I would love to repeat that."

Azarenka's ready embrace of the situation helps set her apart from many other breakout players who crumbled under the weight of expectation.

In avoiding a similar path, Azarenka has had three advantages. First, her ascent to the top was slower. Her breakthrough victory came in 2009 when she took the title in Miami, scoring a surprising win over a hampered Serena Williams in the final. But progress was intermittent over the next couple of years, partly because of injuries, illnesses and her combustible temperament. She resumed her climb in 2011, growing increasingly mature and continuing to develop her game under new coach Sam Sumyk, ending the year at No. 3. Coming after this long road, her Australian Open win in 2012 felt, if anything, overdue rather than premature. Mentally and game-wise, she was ready -- even impatient.

Just how much became clear in the next few weeks, as Azarenka continued her run with big titles in Doha and Indian Wells, extending her winning start to 26 straight matches -- the most successful start to a season since Williams in 2002.

Azarenka's second advantage was the instant credibility of the Grand Slam victory.

By the time her streak ended in the quarterfinals of Miami in March, she was clearly emotionally and physically spent. She looked decidedly wobbly at her next major, the French Open, barely surviving the first round and exiting in her fourth match. She did not win any titles during the spring and summer. But those early-season wins helped shield her from constant interrogation about the legitimacy of her No. 1 ranking or lack of a subsequent Grand Slam title, the kind that eventually wore down Slamless No. 1s like Jelena Jankovic, Dinara Safina and Caroline Wozniacki. Even new Grand Slam champions like Ana Ivanovic and Petra Kvitova have struggled with feeling like they had to try to win everything in the wake of their big victories.