Victoria Azarenka is the “most obnoxious” soccer mom and son Leo is okay with it

FLASHBACK: Azarenka edges Zheng in Adelaide

Football or soccer? It’s a debate that has crept its way into the Azarenka household.

While mom Victoria can’t agree with son Leo—she’s team football for the record—the former world No. 1 is one proud parent on the sidelines. Sometimes too proud, according to the 33-year-old.

“I'm a soccer mom now and I love that. I'm obnoxious, like absolutely the most obnoxious,” she told press in Melbourne.

“I yell, but I'm very positive. I'm actually very proud, because it's like it's a completely different emotion for me to support my son. I have no shame of screaming for him, like zero. But I'm very supportive. I want him to do well. I want him to achieve his dreams.”

Azarenka, an avid backer of Paris Saint-Germain for over a decade, is still pursuing her biggest sport dreams on the grandest stages. It’s been 10 years since she successfully defended her title at the Australian Open, which also marks the last time she lifted a major singles trophy.

On Monday, the No. 24 seed began her bid to end that drought, though shared that she’s trying to be less concentrated on the outcome this time around. In a meeting of the only two former champions in the women's draw, Azarenka was a cut above 2020 winner Sofia Kenin in advancing, 6-4, 7-6 (3).

“Honestly, it's something very new for me. I'm towards the end of my career and I cannot say being focused on the results haven't worked for me,” she said. “Mentally after you haven't achieved your expectation, what you wanted, it's kind of a hard hole to recover from. That is something that I'm actually learning myself. So I would say I think of myself like taking baby steps and really work on intention and what I want to do.”

Azarenka went 8-3 at the majors last year, falling in the round of 16 here to Barbora Krejcikova. Nadia Podoroska awaits in the second round, with returning semifinalist Madison Keys—whom she’s never lost to in three prior meetings—looming as a potential third-round opponent.

“It's never easy to start a tournament, I feel like. The Grand Slam, something that you work so hard for So I definitely had quite a few nerves,” Azarenka said. “I felt like my game wasn't at the best today, but I was able to find a way to win, which is I think important to do, especially for me, I feel that mentally I stayed really strong and I kept looking for solutions.”

Whether Azarenka goes on to make major noise over the fortnight at Melbourne Park is yet to be determined. As for Leo, he doesn’t seem to mind when his biggest fan lets her presence be known.

“I actually even asked him, ‘Leo, do you like when mommy supports you?,’” Azarenka began.

“He goes, ‘Yeah, I love it, Mom.’”

She continued, “Am I not too loud?”

“He goes, ‘Well, sometimes, but it's okay. I like it.’”