Grass Gains by Accepting Change

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, June 6, 2023

Grass is the only Grand Slam surface that grows and dies during the course of a tournament.

Victoria Azarenka attributes her grass growth to accepting change. 

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The 19th-seeded Azarenka breezed through eight straight games dismissing Nadia Podoroska 6-3, 6-0 to advance to the Wimbledon third round.

Though the two-time Australian Open champion concedes grass isn’t her best surface, she’s says adjusting on the fly to the funky bounces and unpredictability of grass has been key to her success this week.

“I don’t think that grass is my favorite surface, but also, I feel like there is not enough time for you to kind of adapt and really fall in love personally for me with grass,” Azarenka said. “I think that the challenge that I find throughout every year that everywhere we go, grass is very different.

“You have to play different. You can’t really play the same way. You come here, the grass is completely different than any tournaments prior.”

Azarenka says the SW19 lawn is even quicker this year which makes adapting even more important.

“I feel like also the courts are changing from year to year,” Azarenka said. “I do feel like this year the courts are a lot faster than previous years, a lot lower bounce, more skidding.

“I really do feel like it’s about adapting. Tennis overall is about adapting, but grass is really about from a day to day, it’s a living surface that you really have to find some shots, as well, that you maybe don’t use on a regular basis.

“But yeah, it’s a definitely a unique surface and it makes tennis very interesting throughout the year to have those differences.”

Mum and son time…

The perfect way to prep @vika7 for #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/VvlMTUVGzZ

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) June 29, 2023

Aiming for her first Wimbledon fourth round appearance since 2017, Azarenka will meet Daria Kasatkina next.

The 11th-seeded Kasatkina has dropped just seven games in two tournament wins. Azarenka is 3-0 lifetime vs. Kasatkina, but the pair, who were both banned from Wimbledon last year, have not faced off in three years.

Photo credit: Tim Clayton/Getty