"The first time in my 20+ career" - Victoria Azarenka takes a dig at fitness coach's late arrival; questions "professionalism" after amusing incident

Victoria Azarenka shared a video of her coach, hilariously calling him out for arriving in the training later than her. The Belarusian last competed at the 2024 Miami Open, advancing to the semifinals but succumbing to Elena Rybakina and ending her run for the title.

Azarenka, the first Belarusian player, male or female, to win a major singles title, had a career breakthrough in 2012, winning the Australian Open title and two (gold in mixed doubles and bronze in singles) Olympic medals in London. Her success in the Grand Slam lifted her to the No.1 position in the world rankings.

Azarenka defended her Australian Open title in 2013, becoming the first woman since Serena Williams in 2009-10 to take back-to-back titles in the tournament. She started her 2024 season with a fourth-round exit from the Australian Open and ended with a WTA 1000 semifinal stint at the Miami Open.

Months later, Azarenka shared a video of her training day but comically called her fitness coach, Franco Herarro 'unprofessional' for turning up to practice later than her.

"For the first time in my 20+ professional career I'm arriving to practice before a coach @pf.francoherarro. I don't know if I'm more professional or Franco is unprofessional," she captioned.

Victoria Azarenka takes a fun jab at her fitness coach; Instagram - @vichka35

In the video, Herarro was seen throwing his fist in the air, saying 'come on' while Victoria Azarenka erupted in chuckles.

Azarenka amassed WTA Tour singles titles in her tennis career. She also advanced to the US Open finals three times in 2012, 2013, and 2020, succumbing to Serena Williams in the first two and Naomi Osaka in the last.

Victoria Azarenka once tried to save herself from training but Franco Herarro didn't permit

WTA 500 Guadalajara Open Akron Presented by Santander 2024 - Day 6 - Source: Getty

The three-time Grand Slam finalist concluded her 2024 season with a few strong finishes and soon returned to training for the upcoming season. In an Instagram post from November 23, the 35-year-old shared a video montage of her training sessions with Franco Herarro, accompanying it with a relatable and humorous caption, reading:

"Tried to hide from @pf.francoherrero but it didn’t work"

Azarenka incorporated tennis into her fitness sessions, engaging in high-intensity workouts with a ball and racket.

Victoria Azarenka often shares updates with her son Leo, whom she claimed custody of after her separation from Billy McKeague in 2017. Her son followed her sporting footsteps but took up hockey instead of tennis.