The 2023 Australian Open will run from Monday, Jan. 16 through Sunday, Jan. 29, and there is a historic-high prize pool of $76.5 million (an increase from last year) on the line as a reward.
Victoria Azarenka had a unique way to celebrate her fifth win at the 2023 Australian Open after defeating No. 3 American Jessica Pegula on Tuesday.
The 33-year-old Russian rocked a Paris Saint-Germain F.C. kit on court, supporting star striker Kylian Mbappé, who made history by scoring five goals against Pays de Casse in the French Cup on Monday.
"5-5 for Mbappé is pretty remarkable," Azarenka said after her quarterfinal win.
She was then asked which performance she was more impressed with, hers or PSG's 7-0 win.
"They didn't play that great of a team, so I'll take mine," she responded.
Azarenka has proven to be an avid soccer fan. The former world No. 1 and two-time Australian Open champion attended the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and said she was able to fulfill a "life[long] dream" getting to watch Argentina star Lionel Messi lead La Albiceleste in his team's first group stage match against Saudi Arabia in November.
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The 24-year-old Mbappé's five goals on Monday set a new record as he became the first player in club history to score that many goals in a match.
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As for Azarenka, she returns to the Australian Open semifinals for the first time in a decade and will face Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina on Thursday.
