Following her 7-5, 6-4 loss in the first round at the Australian Open on Tuesday to American player Jessica Pegula, Victoria Azarenka said her preparation for the year's first major was adversely affected by the 14-day hard quarantine period she had to endure.
"Of course, it has impacted [on court]," she said during her postmatch news conference. "Somebody who's coming out of hard quarantine and maybe has been able to adjust well, they'll go, 'Oh, maybe it hasn't impacted.' Somebody who lost early will say, 'Yeah, of course, it's impacted.' It would be hard to say, 'Was that the best preparation for me?' No.
"But try to sit here and find an excuse because of quarantine, and this is just something that, as I said, it is what it is. I am disappointed that I wasn't able to perform [like] I knew I could. That's a bit hard to accept today because I know I can play better, a lot better. At the same time, I feel that I've tried everything I can to be able to be prepared, but unfortunately, that hasn't worked out for me."
One of 72 players who were forced to self-isolate for two weeks following positive tests on three charter flights to Melbourne, Azarenka had to train from her hotel room. Many players, including Azarenka, hit balls into mattresses, pillows or walls and converted their living spaces into makeshift gyms in an attempt to stay match-ready.
"I mean, the most creative way possible is hitting against the wall and soft cushions," she said. "Doesn't work. But I think the biggest impact for me personally has been not being able to have fresh air. That really took a toll. It really took a toll for me to adjust.
"At the same time, it's something, like, I don't know how to prepare after two weeks' quarantine to play [a match] in six days or five days. I don't have a blueprint of how to prepare. So it's all about, like, trying to figure it out. I did not figure it out, not this time."
Azarenka, a two-time champion in Melbourne and former World No. 1, was playing in just her second Australian Open since 2016 and coming off of a resurgent season in which she advanced to the US Open final, won the Western & Southern Open and returned to the top 20 in the rankings.
She was released from quarantine at the end of last month. She won her lone match at the Grampians Trophy event, created exclusively for the quarantined players, before withdrawing to focus on preparation for the Australian Open. She said it was a difficult decision to make and that she remains unsure of what she should have done.
"I know I needed some matches," she said. "At the same time, I wasn't sure that my body was prepared. As I said before, I didn't know what should be the right game plan for coming out of two weeks' quarantine. I've never done this before. I guess this is like a learning experience, not that I want to repeat that.
"I can sit here and contemplate for a long period of time. Was I feeling prepared fully? No. But also going into a Grand Slam or a tournament it's like, 'OK, I'll have to do the best I can with what I have.' That was my mentality."
Azarenka, 31, had trouble breathing during the second set in her match against Pegula. The Belarusian player was seen using an inhaler during a changeover and later needed a medical timeout midgame. She returned after several minutes off of the court with the tournament's medical staff. Asked about it after the match, she declined to share any details and said she didn't believe players should be required to share their medical conditions with the public.
"I don't really know why we're getting asked about medical conditions because all this is going out on the internet after for people to talk about, to judge about," she said. "I truly don't ever understand that rule of why, when somebody is sick, injured or whatever, they have to give their medical reason out in the world. I think that should be changed -- unless players do want to talk about that, then they can. But it shouldn't be a mandatory requirement for people to talk about their health issues."