AS the WTA Tour comes to a close for the 2020 season, Draft Central is counting down the top five standout performers across a severely disrupted year who have stepped up to a new level since the Tour’s return. A former world number one and veteran in comparison to other players on this countdown, coming in at second is Belarusian Victoria Azarenka who has had an excellent year on her return to the court.

Azarenka is a well-known name in tennis and for good reason, having been a consistent performer over a significant period and while she took some time away from elite sport overall, it seemed as though she did not skip a beat this season, taking advantage of her opportunities and proving she has plenty left in her. With three finals berths and a title to her name since the WTA Tour’s return, Azarenka has absolutely rocketed up the WTA rankings, stepping up to the plate time and again and proving she is more than capable of reaching the heights of her 2012 world number one status once more.

While her 2020 title may have been won on a technicality with Naomi Osaka bowing out prior to either player taking the court, there is no doubt that Azarenka’s 2020 form has taken many by surprise with the veteran showcasing her consistency on return and continuously proving she is not done yet. The Belarusian was ranked in the high 50s upon the return of tennis in August, and since then has kept climbing up the rankings to sit at 13th in the world with her rise only soured by a frustrating loss to compatriot Aryna Sabalenka at the Ostrava Open in late October. 

Like many, Azarenka has played a significantly lower amount of matches this season than 2019, but has made the most of her opportunities this year with 19 wins and just six losses on tour, making for a 76 per cent win rate compared to her 56 per cent over 2018/19. Both Azarenka’s hold percentage and break percentage have gone up – by six per cent and three per cent respectively – and while her ace rate is lower than 2019, sitting at 4.2 per cent compared to 4.5 per cent, Azarenka’s double fault rate has also lowered by more than two per cent, showcasing her ability to adjust on serve and utilise her service games without racking up the aces. 12 straight wins throughout August – her winning run at the Western and Southern Open combined with her finals berth at the US Open – did Azarenka plenty of favours, and has seen her defeat six players within the top 20.

Ultimately, Azarenka’s form this year should not really come as a surprise given she is a proven performer, but with shaky form over the past few years seeing her sit mostly around the 50-mark rankings-wise, sitting at number 13 now is a testament to her real lift in intensity in 2020.