WTA: Azarenka: Trainer breaks up

After less than a year the collaboration between Victoria Azarenka and her coach Michael Joyce is finished. The American wants to develop his career as a coach.

Victoria Azarenka is currently fighting on different fronts. A custody dispute with her ex-husband about her little son has been taking time for the ex-number-one for several months. A new development has now taken place in this area. Her coach Michael Joyce, with whom she has worked since the beginning of the 2017 season, has broken away from the alliance and will no longer be part of the Belarusian team.

The 44-year-old American will look for another job due to Azarenka’s long break in order to fully concentrate on the lawsuit.

Joyce said in a statement:”Victoria is a very talented player. While I was eager to see her return to the tour, I accept her decision to put her family first. With deepest regret, I have to announce that I’m going to focus on my future coaching career and she’s going to take care of her personal life.”

In addition, the ex-pro Azarenka wishes him all the best and he is looking forward to seeing her again soon on the tour, Joyce said.

At the end of 2016, Azarenka ended the season prematurely and became a mother for the first time. Since then, the 28-year-old’s participation in Mallorca and Wimbledon meant that she has only played two tournaments in 2017 and decided to stay away from the tour for the time being. There was never any real cooperation with her new coach and the former coach of Maria Sharapova pulled the rip cord.

An exact date for a comeback is to be fixed for the 20 times title holder with the tournament in Auckland in the new year. Azarenka received a wildcard from the organizers for the competition at the beginning of January and said,”I can’t wait to return to the tour and I can’t think of a better start into the year 2018 than I did in Auckland”.