Victoria Azarenka To Miss Australian Open Due to Ongoing Custody Battle

Victoria Azarenka will have to wait to resume her tennis career.

Two-time champion and world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka has withdrawn from the Australian Open amid a custody battle with the father of her baby.

Azarenka gave birth to her son, Leo, in December 2016 and returned to the WTA tour in June. She can not leave California until the custody dispute is resolved.

She has not competed on the Grand Slam stage since Wimbledon, where she lost to Simona Halep in the fourth round of the tournament.

Azarenka had been given a wild card into the Australian Open, which will begin on Jan. 15.