#Victoria Azarenka found a ‘different place’ to resurrect her career

In recent years, Victoria Azarenka may not have possessed the mental stamina to withstand Serena Williams’ early surge in Thursday’s semifinals.

In 2012 and 2013, the Belarus star was the new queen of tennis, having won two Australian Opens and making the US Open Finals twice.

Azarenka was only 24 then and looked destined to go down as one of the great ones. But bouts with depression and injuries, followed by motherhood and a vicious custody battle derailed her road to greatness.

The Belarus native, now 31, fell mostly off the circuit from 2014 to 2016. When she returned to the tour in 2017 as a mother, she was not the same. Until now.

Azarenka will be back in a grand slam final for the first time in seven years on Saturday. Off her Williams upset, Azarenka faces 2018 Open champion Naomi Osaka in Saturday’s US Open Final at 4 pm.

Yes, six of the 10 women’s players opted out. But this still has been an unexpected run for Azarenka that nobody saw coming – even after she won the Open tuneup, the Western and Southern Open, two weeks ago.

Azarenka delved deep after the Williams’ victory, talking about her new mental health that has become a hot-button topic for professional athletes. In some respects, Azarenka said she took her prior success for granted.

‘Mentally I’m in such a different place,’’ Azarenka said. “I think seven years ago, after I won the Australian Open and playing consistently with good results, I wouldn’t say expected but kind of expected for me to be in the final. I don’t think that was the case this year. But it feels more fun this year, more fulfilling, more pleasant.

“I could continue to stay on my high horse or I could just change it and learn from that. I just feel I’m very proud of myself that I took that challenge from losing and turn it around and become better. I’m not talking about a better tennis player. I’m talking about a better person for myself, for my son. That’s what I’m most proud of.’’

Azarenka, who gave birth to her son in 2016, looks to have a new mental energy on the court. She started the match vs. Williams tentative and fell behind 4-0 and lost the first set.

In the second set, Azarenka looked like a different person. In trademark pink shorts, she danced on the baseline before points, bouncing up and down like she was racing on adrenaline. By contrast, a huffing, puffing Williams looked ready to drop.

Williams paid Azarenka, her longtime friendly rival, her due. In fact, her coach Patrick Mouratoglu has been an Azarenka advisor, setting her up with fitness trainers in 2020.

“She’s had a lot of, I would say, downs in her career,’’ Williams said. “She started on a lot of highs. I don’t know how she stayed positive, to be honest. That’s a good lesson for all of us.”

Azarenka was as vocal as Williams during the match, matching her shriek for shriek.

“Vulnerability is good,’’ said Azarenka. “Having emotions is good. Feeling constantly why things happen to me the way they happened was not beneficial. I stopped doing that. I started taking more responsibility for what I do. That helped me grow. That helped me become a better person that I am today. I think that shows on the tennis court, too.”

The finals figures to be a fierce battle of two baseliners who pound deep. Perhaps the age difference will work in Azarenka’s favor, who is nine years Osaka’s elder. They were supposed to meet in the Western Open finals but Osaka, 22, forfeited with a hamstring strain.

Azarenka has adopted something she termed “neutral mentality.”

“When s–t happens to you, you’re like, ‘Oh, let’s be positive,’’’ Azarenka said. “It’s sometimes impossible to be positive. So being neutral, just not going into a negativity is very useful. I’ve always been tough, but I had those moments where I was just not there. I wasn’t in the moment. I found that serenity being in the moment now.”