Azarenka Wins Back-to-Back Australian Open Titles

Victoria Azarenka won her second consecutive Australian Open title by defeating Li Na 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Azarenka, of Belarus, is the top-ranked player in the world and was the tournament’s top seed. Li, of China, was the tournament’s 6th seed. 

Li sprained her ankle twice during the match. When she injured her ankle the second time, she crashed to the court, smacking her head against the surface. She suffered a concussion and ended up finishing the match.

Li’s injury did not endear Azarenka to the Australian Open crowd. In the semifinals, Azarenka was accused of potentially cheating by faking two injuries to get a 10-minute injury timeout to calm her nerves against American teenager Sloane Stephens. 

Azarenka, at the 2012 U.S. Open, also collapsed after she suffered from a mild concussion and had to be wheeled off the court in a wheelchair.

The 23-year-old tennis star, though, has come a long way since then, and her win solidified her standing as the world’s top female tennis player.