Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka withdrew from the US Open on Monday because she was unable to resolve a custody dispute with her infant son’s father.
The 28-year-old star from Belarus gave birth to her first child in December and she returned to the tour in June.
She detailed the dispute with the boy’s father in a long Twitter post last week, saying she might not be able to bring her son with her to New York.
‘I am sadly unable to compete in this year’s U.S. Open due to my ongoing family situation that I am working through,’ Azarenka said in a statement.
Victoria Azarenka announced on Monday that she is pulling out of the US Open later this month. Above, a picture of the Belarus tennis star at the U.S. Open in 2015, above
Azarenka is locked in a custody battle with her ex over their eight-month-old baby. In order to compete at the US Open, she would need to leave her baby in California, which she said she is not prepared to do
The 28-year-old is pictured above with her baby boy Leo on June 17
Azarenka’s son Leo was born in December, and her and the father separated shortly after the Wimbledon tournament in July
In last week’s post, Azarenka wrote that she separated from Leo’s father, Billy McKeague, shortly after Wimbledon, where she lost to Simona Halep in the fourth round on July 10.
‘As we work to resolve some of the legal processes, the way things stand now is that the only way I can play in the US Open this year is if I leave Leo behind in California,’ Azarenka wrote, ‘which I’m not willing to do.’
‘I remain optimistic that in the coming days Leo’s father and I can put aside any differences and take steps in the right direction to more effectively work as a team and agree on an arrangement for all three of us to travel and for me to compete,’ Azarenka wrote, ‘but, more importantly, to ensure that Leo has a consistent presence from both of his parents.’
Azarenka has not played since Wimbledon, and the former No. 1 player is now ranked 204th.
She was the runner-up in New York in 2012 and 2013, losing in the final each year to Serena Williams.
Azarenka and her baby boy say hi to fellow tennis star Gael Monfils in another post taken at the Wimbledon tournament in July
Azarenka appears to be taking measures to protect her son’s privacy on Instagram, as evidenced by the sticker she put over his head in this recent picture
‘I remain optimistic that in the coming days Leo’s father and I can put aside any differences and take steps in the right direction to more effectively work as a team and agree on an arrangement for all three of us to travel and for me to compete,’ Azarenka wrote
Those were also the years that Azarenka won her two Grand Slam singles titles in Australia.
Williams, who is pregnant with her first child, also will not play in this year’s US Open.
On the men’s side, three top-10 players have withdrawn with season-ending injuries: defending champion Stan Wawrinka, Novak Djokovic and Kei Nishikori.