TENNIS: WHEN VICTORIA Azarenka woke yesterday morning, still buzzing after just a few hours' sleep, she flicked through the hundreds of messages from her friends around the world, congratulating her on becoming a grand slam champion and claiming the world number one ranking.

Among them was one rather special email, informing her that she had been honoured by Belarus for her efforts in winning the Australian Open. In the hours after her 6-3, 6-0 demolition of Maria Sharapova in the final, Azarenka had struggled to get through to her mother, Alla. When her mother finally did reach her, she just dropped in the news about the honour, casual as you like.

“She was really calm,” Azarenka said yesterday. The confirmation came from the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, that she had been awarded the Order of the Motherland. “Apparently I got the honour, the medal. I don’t know how to translate [what it stands for into English], but it’s really cool.”

Azarenka will be reunited with her mother in the US next week when she plays Fed Cup against a United States team that will include Serena and Venus Williams. Being world number one carries with it responsibilities and also makes her a target for the chasing pack.

“I think a lot more people will have more motivation to beat me and there’s going to be certain pressure from the media,” she said. “It’s really exciting to go on the court and have somebody on the other side who really, really wants to beat you. I enjoy that challenge so much.”

A year ago Azarenka contemplated giving it all up, unclear whether the grind was really worth it. Her mother and grandmother talked her out of it and yesterday she laughed when asked what else she would have done.

“God, I don’t know – maybe I would like to try acting,” she said. “I would love to do that one day definitely after my career.”

Guardian Service