Belarusian Viktoria Azarenka inexplicably broke down in tears in the middle of the match and was unable to resume play for several minutes, in her 6-3, 6-4 loss to Kazakh Elena Rybakina on Monday in the 3rd round of the WTA 1000 d 'Indian Wells.

Two days after the tears of the Japanese Naomi Osaka, injured by an insult to her place pronounced by a person in the public, another tear episode, just as trying and, it is clear that it is less and less unusual, occurred. on this same center court.

" I'm sorry "

Azarenka, double winner of the event (2012, 2016), burst into tears after a double fault committed at 2-2 in the second set.

Hand on her eyes to vainly prevent the tears from flowing, squatting with her head down as if to hide her distress, she suddenly worried the fans, her opponent and the main referee, got down from her chair to meet her and ask her if everything was fine.

" Do you need help ?

“, she asked him, and Azarenka answered three times “I am sorry”, without saying more.

Rybakina then asked the referee what was going on.

"I was just checking that she was okay," she replied.

“Okay, but is this normal?

“, then asked the Kazakh.

“No, it's not normal.

This is the first time this has happened,” the referee said.

Warmly applauded by the spectators

The match finally resumed and the former world No.1 was able to finish it, hastening to leave the court, greeting the spectators who warmly applauded her.

Impossible to know if the problem was therefore physical – a possibility because Azarenka, finalist last year, had straps around his right shoulder – or mental, in a difficult context linked to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, of which Belarus is an ally.

As a Belarusian, like the Russians, she was allowed by the tennis authorities to participate in Indian Wells without mentioning her country and flag.

Before the start of the tournament, she said on Twitter that she was "devastated" for those affected by the war and hoped that the conflict would end quickly.

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