"We want to innovate" - Victoria Azarenka calls for change in tennis' erratic scheduling after Wimbledon 1R win

Victoria Azarenka recently shared her opinion on tennis traditions, including the Wimbledon dress code and the erratic match scheduling.

Azarenka is currently competing at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships. On Monday, July 3, she secured an opening-round victory over China’s Yue Yuan 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.

The Belarusian was seen wearing dark-colored undershorts during the match, in contravention to the Championships’ previously stringent all-white dress code. The color code relaxation for women is a recent change, taking into account the players’ anxiety about wearing all-white while menstruating.

During her post-match press conference, Victoria Azarenka welcomed the change when asked about a rule or tradition in tennis she would like modified.

“I appreciate the non-full-white rule for the girls. I think that was an important step. I think that's very thoughtful. I don't need to change that,” the 33-year-old said, smiling.

The two-time Grand Slam champion then said she would likely go back to the drawing board to rectify the tennis tradition of haphazard scheduling, which is often attributed to the long match format.

“I think the traditions are good, but we do want to innovate sometimes, so I think with the rule of scheduling, there will be couple of things that could be adjusted. For me, that would be that one,” she said.

Victoria Azarenka also opined that match delays make it difficult for the sport’s fans to follow their favorites.

“For me, the important part is, to grow our sport, is to be able to have a bit more predictability with the scheduling that it's going to be easier for people to follow,” she said.

The Belarusian suggested that shortening the matches would increase the predictability of match timings. And despite it being a debatable take, she stated that tennis would attract better marketing opportunities as a result.

“I feel like if that takes maybe to shorten the matches a little bit and have more, when people come, like, okay, I come to the match, it's going to be from hour and a half to two hours, and then the switch,” Azarenka said.

“I feel like that will bring a little bit more marketing opportunities, and it will help grow our sport. I know people say, well, lose the five sets and the marathon matches? It's a debatable thing, but from a business standpoint, from growing our sport, I feel like it could be a pretty good one,” she added.

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Victoria Azarenka will face Nadia Podoroska in the second round of the 2023 Wimbledon Championships

Victoria Azarenka at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships

After facing a ban at last year’s Wimbledon Championships due to her nationality, Victoria Azarenka is back in action at SW19.

The former World No. 1’s best result at Wimbledon came in 2011 and 2012 when she made the semifinals on the trot. Azarenka has also featured in two other quarterfinals but hasn’t made it past the initial stages in recent years.

The two-time Australian Open champion will hope to rediscover her grasscourt form in the ongoing edition. She is through to the second round and will face 2020 French Open semifinalist Nadia Podoroska for a place in the third round.