Azarenka may miss US Open due to custody dispute

Victoria Azarenka may have to miss the US Open because of the ongoing custody dispute with the father of her son, Leo. In a statement posted on her Facebook page, the former world No.1 confirmed media speculation that a court order may keep her from travelling to New York with her child, but remained optimistic that the situation can be resolved.

“The way things stand now is that the only way I can play in the US Open this year is if I leave Leo behind in California, which I’m not willing to do,” Azarenka wrote on Facebook.

“No one should ever have to decide between a child and their career, we are strong enough to do both.”

The news comes as another setback for Azarenka, who made her return to professional tennis in May. After struggling for form through the grass court season, the two-time Australian Open champion has been unable to compete on the WTA because of the dispute with her former partner.

However, the 28 year-old, who has been a finalist twice at Flushing Meadows, has not ruled out a last minute resolution to the dispute.

“I remain optimistic that in the coming days Leo’s father and I can put aside any differences and take steps in the right direction to more effectively work as a team and agree on an arrangement for all three of us to travel and for me to compete but, more importantly to ensure that Leo has a consistent presence from both of his parents.”