Australian Open 2023: Victoria Azarenka supports Novak Djokovic and says players aren't 'villains'

Novak Djokovic plays Russian 5th effect Andrey Rublev successful the men's singles quarter-finals connected Wednesday

Australian Open semi-finalist Victoria Azarenka says she feels sympathy for Novak Djokovic and pleaded for players not to beryllium treated arsenic "villains".

Serbia's Djokovic has been accused of dramatising the grade of a hamstring wounded during the Australian Open.

"We are regular quality beings that spell done many, galore things," she said.

"There is sometimes, I don't know, an unthinkable tendency for a villain and a leader communicative that has to beryllium written.

"But we're not villains and we're not heroes."

• Azarenka beats Pegula to acceptable up Rybakina semi-final

Nine-time men's champion Djokovic, who plays Russian 5th effect Andrey Rublev successful the men's singles quarter-finals connected Wednesday astatine 08:30 GMT, said earlier this week helium was an "easy people to beryllium the villain".

Djokovic was reportedly unhappy the validity of his toilet interruption during a second-round triumph implicit France's Enzo Couacaud was questioned.

The 4th effect has been wearing dense strapping connected his near thigh each tournament, taking a aesculapian time-out against Couacaud and besides during his third-round triumph implicit Grigor Dimitrov.

Following his fourth-round triumph implicit Australia's Alex de Minaur, Djokovic was besides reported to person told Serbian media that lone his injuries "were doubted".

"I permission the doubting to those radical - fto them doubt," helium added.

"Only my injuries are questioned. When immoderate different players are injured, past they are the victims, but erstwhile it is me, I americium faking it."

Amid the treatment astir Djokovic's carnal state, American satellite fig 9 Taylor Fritz said the bulk of players are ever a "little banged-up".

"I don't deliberation radical fake injuries, I bash deliberation sometimes players agelong the severity of the wounded due to the fact that it depressurises them and helps them play better," helium added.

Accusations taken Azarenka '10 years to get over'

Azarenka's triumph implicit Stephens successful the 2013 semi-final proved arguable aft she took a agelong aesculapian time-out astatine a important juncture successful the match.

After failing to service retired victory, the Belarusian had a 10-minute interruption and returned to interruption successful the adjacent crippled to unafraid her spot successful the final.

Azarenka, present 33, went connected to bushed China's Li Na and clinch back-to-back titles astatine Melbourne Park.

"It was 1 of the worst things that I've ever gone done successful my nonrecreational career, the mode I was treated aft that moment," she said.

"The mode I had to explicate myself until 10:30pm due to the fact that radical didn't privation to judge me.

"I really tin resonate what Novak said the different day."

Victoria Azarenka receiving attraction during a aesculapian time-out successful her Australian Open semi-final triumph implicit Sloane Stephens successful 2013

Ten years on, Azarenka says she is "finally over" however she felt she was treated.

"I've been called that I'm cheating, that I'm faking, that I was trying to propulsion radical disconnected their game. It's everything that is truthful incorrect astir my quality if idiosyncratic really knows me," she said.

"At immoderate points I've heard that, 'she has this happening that is atrocious oregon this happening is bad'. At immoderate constituent you're like: 'Really? Am I?' Those doubts starts to creep in.

"Now I conscionable don't care. I americium much and much assured successful what I cognize astir myself, and I'm astatine bid with that. Those comments, judgments, they're there. I announcement them. But I don't care."

Azerenka volition play Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina successful the semi-finals aft beating 3rd effect Jessica Pegula successful consecutive sets connected Tuesday.

• Who tin halt Djokovic astatine Australian Open?

What's happening connected Wednesday?

In the women's draw, the 2nd semi-final volition beryllium decided connected Wednesday arsenic Karolina Pliskova takes connected Magda Linette astatine 00:00 GMT earlier 5th effect Aryna Sabalenka faces Donna Vekic.

It volition people a archetypal Grand Slam quarter-final for 30-year-old Pole Linette, portion Pliskova - seeded 30th - of the Czech Republic is aiming to scope her archetypal semi-final astatine Melbourne Park since 2019.

Croatia's Vekic and Belarusian Sabalenka - the lone apical 10 effect near successful the gully - look disconnected successful what is simply a maiden Australian Open quarter-final quality for both.

The different men's quarter-final is betwixt unseeded Americans Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul.

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