New mum Azarenka to return for Wimbledon

AFP: Former world number one Victoria Azarenka said Monday she will return earlier than planned to compete at Wimbledon this July, seven months after giving birth to son Leo.

“My training has been progressing well and I feel ready to start competing... plus Leo kinda said he wants to see London and Wimbledon,” the 27-year-old Belarusian wrote on Twitter.

“I will be finalising my schedule before Wimbledon in the coming days -- I plan to play one of the grasscourt events prior to Wimbledon! I will keep you updated!”

Wimbledon starts on July 3 with grasscourt warm-up tournaments beforehand at ‘s-Hertogenbosch in The Netherlands and Nottingham, Birmingham and Eastbourne in England.

Azarenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, previously said she intended to return at Stanford, California at the end of July.

She launched her 2016 campaign with back-to-back titles at Indian Wells and Miami, but missed the rest of the season after announcing she would give birth in December.