“You were banned from Wimbledon, simply because of your passport…” 🎾 Victoria Azarenka | Up Front
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- Опубліковано 3 лип 2024
- This week we are joined by 2x Grand Slam champion and former world number one, Victoria Azarenka. Born in Belarus, during the final years of the Soviet Union, Victoria’s career in tennis started purely by chance. After moving to the USA as a teenager to pursue her dream she would go on to become the first Belarusian to capture a tennis Grand Slam, winning the Australian Open in 2012.
But now she has found herself in the middle of tensions, as the sporting and political worlds collide…
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Warning: this episode contains language that some people may find offensive.
#upfront #simonjordan #wimbledon
00:00 Introduction to Victoria Azarenka
00:49 Podcast starts
02:15 Victoria’s journey to tennis stardom
09:40 What was it like in Belarus?
12:12 Pressure
20:39 Why did Victoria feel lonely?
27:10 Did Money change Victoria
30:00 Emma Raducanu
38:12 Ukraine War / Being banned from Wimbledon
50:28 Naomi Osaka
55:34 The GOAT debate
1:00:00 Has Victoria fulfilled everything she wants to do?
“You were banned from Wimbledon, simply because of your passport…” 🎾 Victoria Azarenka | Up Front
Disgrace how she was treated at Wimbledon, those pissed up, middle class buffoons should be ashamed of themselves. Well done to Simon for this interview, and for speaking out in her support in the media.
I was in the crowd and I was genuinely shocked by people’s behaviour.
She behaved perfectly and played a great match. I couldn’t have imagined that people would treat someone that badly with no good reason.
The majority of those people in the crowd aren't tennis fans 😡
i agreed with most of what victoria said, apart from her choice of the female 'GOAT''! serena & venus were the best servers but not the best tennis player! for me, that honour has to go to steffi graf, whose career proved she was the outstanding talent of all time!!
@@normankennith7919and to me it’s the best tennis brain there ever was : Martina Hingis ❤
martina was good but couldn't match the big hitters!1
steffi beat the best, inc. hingis! navratilova, evert, sabatina, sanchez, novotna, seles, davenport, clijsters & both williams sisters!!@@d-law868
Fair play Simon for doing the job of the mainstream media. Absolutely disgusting how this woman has been treated!
when she got booed the other day at wimbledon, absolutely uncalled for!
Yer wasn't good, but I don't think it was anything to do with her nationality. It was the crowd thinking she was walking off, not shaking hands with Svitolina, not realising it was Svitolina not wanting to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian players.
@@Graeme726 who knows what the crowd were thinking when they decided to boo. However, it’s not just about the crowds reaction. It’s about her insidious opponent and about the fact she was previously banned from taking part in Wimbledon due to having a Belarusian passport!
That Ukrainian player is a complete disgrace to tennis with her attitude, she don't have to respect a country but at least show respect for a fellow professional that has no control over events.
Simon works for the mainstream
Media
Vika's intelligence, uniqueness and class shine through. A great interview with a truly great athlete.
The only man in sports media bringing balance to any topic that crosses his path. He’s said it how it is all his life and has finally got the platform. Hopefully it could be a sign of change in sports and politics.
I don't always agree with Simons opinions on some topics but will forever respect and follow him for giving this woman a fair shake and a chance to speak unfiltered. Just because a countries leaders are monsters doesn't mean that suddenly all of their people are monsters too. I will never get how people find this difficult to understand. Keep your head up Victoria.
@Cael175 it’s because people are easily brainwashed by propaganda and give into fear. It’s a feeble mentality, I see it in my stepdad. Luckily for me, my mom is the opposite.
@hayder88 The fact so many don't understand this is actually very disturbing
Who exactly are the monsters? Those who are prepared to act to protect their people from 8yrs worth of oppression and genocide, or those who seek to oppress their own people and others (Iraq, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan to name 4)? Putin is the only G7 leader to tell the WEF to shove their ‘you’ll own nothing and be happy’ Great Reset! I’d rather have him than that slimey, unelected, vertically challenged individual we are stuck with.
Fantastic interview and fantastic lady, it’s disgusting how she was treated by Wimbledon
this lady is the real deal. she put across her views perfectly in a second language and comes across as compassionate and humble. i'm a suppoter of hers based on this interview. thanks Simon
What a beautiful soul. Eloquent, intelligent, graceful, insightful and incredibly motivating. Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Thank you Victoria, Simon & all involved. 🙏
Top notch interview this. Very unexpected duo, didn't know Simon was a big tennis fan. Vika sound as a pound, thoughtful and grounded.
This is exactly what is missing from british tennis players, you wonder why none of them really do much... this is exactly why! They do not want to sacrifice anything, they dont get pushed (or when they do they complain) We do not having this selfish mentality that players like Azarenka have. Nothing but respect for her, and as always great podcast simon
Extraordinary young lady, this is by far the best podcast yet!
I remember the terrible bias against Elena Rybakina at last years Wimbledon final by the bbc. It was disgusting
And again this year, the BBC failed to show the first 4 games of her last 2 matches. It was disgraceful as she was the defending champion. That would never happen if it was Serena or Venus.
@@patrickfarrell5092AMEN!!! Well said. I cannot stand these bigots.
I really didn't understand why the media gave her that dismissive treatment. Ons Jabeur is great and I have nothing against her, but hearing the disappointment in the commentators voices when "the lady from Africa" began to lose was kinda satisfying...
@@kennethjohnson4154yeah the bias was off the charts this year. They were salivating over Coco Gauff it was unbelievable.
@@garyrobinson8665 amazing this year was mirra andreeva who as 16 qualified and got to quarters, more than coco achieved ,yet mira being blondie girl from russia got no coverage
Victoria is proper top class female professional athlete that other females should look up to and is well spoken. Well done Simon for giving us another amazing podcast interview can't wait for next week guest.
Best Sports Interview Channel On Here 👏 👍
Great interview Simon and really interesting listening to Victoria. Gutted she lost the other night and the Wimbledon crowd were an absolute joke booing her!
No one is as intelligent and eloquent in interviews and handling the press like Vika. I never forget how she helped Kasatkina when she was at the lowest during an ankle injury at a tournament. You can see her empathy and compassion.
Wonderful conversation, so much wisdom from a beautiful heart, thank you Simon for inviting her on your podcast.
She a class act, quality podcast
Yep, that's why she supports lukashenka
@@steveerossa if she's not then she would some day find herself buried in some pit in Minsk outskirts
A great interview with a truly great athlete it’s disgusting how Victoria was treated by Wimbledon. Looking forward to the next Podcast Simon 🙂
I really enjoyed listening to this podcast. Vika has been one of my favourite players since her early days. Her qualities are admirable - very strong, astute, intelligent and outspoken. I also like the fact that she doesn't care about the fame and bright lights, but just enjoys the simple things in life.
I just wish that the ignorant people senselessly booing her at Wimbledon would listen to this podcast and get to know her.
I love Vika…she has such a good head on her shoulders and seems wise. Glad to learn more about her thoughts on life.
Vika is such a humble and intelligent lady and speaks a lot of sense. She deals with the media at the press conferences so well with the stupid questions she gets asked. Great work from Simon as well.
How lovely is Victoria ?
Extremely lovely 🙂
Top class interview and a top class woman
Class act in Victoria`s Azarenka interview. So much respect for her and her reaction in those events of her life. Good interview with Simon Jordan. Tennis players should receive some media training as their career grows and so many more training outside of the tennis course to prepare them. But Victoria is doing an amazing job and I hope she will stay in the tennis world after she retires.
I salute Vika for behaving gently and intelligent in those trying moments in tournament your one of my best players in women’s tennis and i love watching her matches she is so calm much respect to you Victoria .
Beautiful interview.
Saw the video on Relevant Tennis and I don't regret to be on UA-cam, even if I never come here.
Vika is such an inspiring athlete and SHE IS RIGHT.
What a wonderful conversation! I sincerely hope Vika goes on to win more than just one more Slam.
Great choice of interview Simon. Cleverly constructed edition of up front is this one.
Awesome interview 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you Vika. Very soulfull talk.
Great interview Simon,Victoria is a very smart and interesting lady,with real character 👍🏽
Excellent interview she is a class act!
This channel is fantastic, Simon, keep going. Brilliant interviews 🍿🍸
I love this show Simon, I don't always agree with your opinions but I love the strength of character you have. TALKSPORT would be lost without you. ❤🎉
Victoria spoke so eloquently, who is responsibly for pushing the nationality of the participants. They are there purely to represent themselves as athletes and should be allowed to do so without any of the politics attached, UNLESS the individuals choose to push their political views. If that becomes the case then the tournament organizers, not the government, should take appropriate action. Brilliant interview again Simon.
Another fantastic interview. 🎉🎉🎉
What an awesome human being !!! Loved watching this. Vika I hope you win another slam...I hope you win Wimbledon one day.
These podcasts are great. Was particularly interested in hearing Azarenka talk.
Brilliant interview!
Another superb interview. Didn't know anything about Victoria Azarenka other than the success she'd had on the tennis court. Amazed at how down-to-earth and thoughtful she is. Simon's interviewing style reallys allow their true characters to shine
Great interview, love Victoria
Vicka is pure class!
I agree 50000% it's institutionalized xenophobia ban an athlete for where he/she came from, ethically and morally judge somone for nationality too you can hate Azarenka or whoever for what she's not for her nationality or that's intrinsically xenophobia definition at least call your attitude by its right name "I'm a xenophobic".
She's not the first. When the Williams Sisters first reached the Wimbledon final,they said " Something must be done about this..."
Also, The Wall- best coach you'll ever meet
class loving these podcasts brilliant insight into athletes minds,thoughts what drives them etc
great booking Simon, keep it up
What a lovely glow this woman has ! Thanks Simon for letting us hear her story 👏
Great interview Simon
Fantastic Conversation!
Love learning more about Vika. Wonderul interview.
This is simply the best podcast available. Intelligent and articulate and to the point. Would love to see Simon destroy Andrew Tate in a podcast
Top Lady. Fierce on court. And yes by virtue of loving Roger and rafa people disliked novak, he became the pantomime villain.. he cared deeply at the time but through his transformation he realised it doesn't matter.
Really appreciate hearing from Azarenka, very interesting. But please Simon, don’t talk over her! She has more to say and you are moving on to some other aspect.
He seems to really understand the dedication and mental fortitude it takes to perform at the highest athletic level, and respects that. Great podcast
Simon Jordan is a consummate interviewer , he should be given his own chat show on terrestrial tv
First Wade now Azarenka I like that these podcasts give people who media/social media have painted a certain image of the chance to show who they really are and the chance to be themselves! Lot of love for wade and azarenka, hope they both have one more big major win in their careers
+ Le Tiss
Best one yet! And Simon, well done for keeping pretty quiet and letting her speak. That's what Parky always did.
Keep ur head up my girl ...u have always been my favorite female tennis player ever and always will be ....u r an inspiration ❤❤❤❤ love u so much
That was absolutely fantastic.
Salute u Azarenka...you must be a great fighter n your past n hardwork makes you today. U shd continue tennis❤❤❤
Top man, Simon for this interview with such a top woman in Victoria. I'm loving these interviews.
She’s a great sportswoman, and a decent human being !
Well done Sir!
Great interview. Agree with Azerenkas take on Wimbledon banning players.
Re McEnroe comment. What he said at Wimbledon 2021 was that everything basically caught up with Emma - precisely what she said herself a couple of days later, so he was quite correct. What happened two months later at the US Open was irrelevant, different time, different place, different Tournament.
There was a lot of tactful language used around the Wimbledon banning issue, but reading between the lines I think I know where these two stand and I admire them both for it. Banning British athletes from competition over Iraq would have been disgraceful, doing so to Russians and Belarusians is equally shameful. I would go as far as to say perfectly legitimate criticism of the Russian Government has strayed into ethnic hatred, and it's ugly.
And when Russia inevitably wins and Ukraine no longer exists, whatwill you say then?
Best performance so far by Simon, a lot less of him and more of the guest .
Hope that continues.
The way the British public and tennis authorities have treated poor Victoria is disgusting... Thank god Simon isn't a brainless sheep and can bring balance and fairness to the subject
Tennis fans aren't the British public. I don't actually know any British people personally who give one shit about tennis in fact.
@@timsyoutube6051 You need to get out more mate
@@StewartEvans52 I'm out plenty. Probably meet more people than you on a daily basis. The company I keep do not give a monkeys about tennis. It's for posh people and foreigners.
@@timsyoutube6051 You do realise that : tennis has spread all over the world. Designed and codified in England in the 1870s, it is the direct descendant of jeu de paume, invented in France in the 11th century.
IE- We had enough to do with Tennis etc and especially every year our free tv coverage since TV was in our homes from invention we love seeing Wimbledon as a nation in the same way that everyone loves seeing all the varied events when The Olympics is on.
So every British ,English person traditionally is brought up to enjoy Wimbledon once a year and that is one of the 4 majors which equates to at least 25% of a shit about Tennis.
Poor form Timsy .
@@stefan2005stefan Timsy? Proving my point for me You are definitely posh. No not every English / British person is brought up to enjoy tennis when Wimbledon is on, my family certainly didn't bring me up that way and not one of my close friends enjoys tennis. If you're posh and surrounded by posh people it might feel that way but that is not the feeling at ground level.
Brilliant 😊
Great interview.l like Victoria ❤
Genuine musings of true sportswoman. Godspeed Victoria!
A eloquent, intelligent, warm and funny woman (and incredible tennis player too) who shows grace and humility and depsite the abhorrent manner in which she was treated by Wimbledon and other players she still refused to criticize them here in this interview (and she would have every right to do so) .. the epitome of class
Vika is a truly wonderful human being. A real fighter 👏👏👏
Human beings are essentially and potentially good. Great and interesting Show Simon and Veka, happy to see in this presentation; an effort in the expose of human goodness and athletic objectivity. Goodness can and should hold across all careers.The work of goodness for goodness, needs to be championed in and for our one human family everywhere. Undertaking this for sure, is everybody's business, across our let's make it better and truly civilized, through love, our world. We need to stand together for one another always, to heal human brokenness, mis-steps and the misuse of anything that is good among us. Sport is an activity for the greater good across our human family and should remain justly that. There are many games played around sports and other human disciplines, not all of these are good unfortunately, the bad and the loveless-lifeless aught to be carefully discerned at all times and resisted. Every person I think appreciates or can become appreciators of Good-Sports and good Journalists as they can benefit us all.🤓
You are the very reason that I love tennis Victoria I love you
When I watch Victoria play and hear the noises and stern face, I’ve never warmed to her, yet, watching this, she seems a lovely, warm and humble person, and that’s fat more important.
I agree, don't care for her on court but like her press conferences however I wasn't overly impressed with her attitude towards Elena Rybakina after she lost to her at AO.
Gosh I love Azarenka always have. Stunner.
What a class woman
You'll have to remind me, back in the 60's when America were dropping millions of tons of napalm and Agent Orage on Vietnamese childen, were any of their athletes banned from major sporting events?
John McEnroe......An Up Front guest? Now that would be a great interview.
So kind to include Venus in her praise
What a great woman! 👏
Hope the fand who booed see this, so unfair on a completely innocent and quite clearly decent human being!
I take it she is talking about Sam Sumyk who had a tempestuous relationship with Muguruza.
Really enjoy the podcasts. However, wish Simon would stop interrupting someone's thought/point by interjecting. Allow them to get it out.
Don't watch if he hurts your feelings 🤷♂️
@@Ryro-os2cg Please ask for a refund. Your trolling is trash. May just give you another chance after you drink some milk
@@leevihemmings707 Sorry if I *TRIGGERED* you, Lee 👍
@@Ryro-os2cg The door is closed
4:40 is contender for the most ridiculous question of the year Simon 😂
Fair play though Simon I enjoy these interviews and subscribed.
No it wasn’t . Private coaches are expensive you numpty
Oh my god, that’s what happened to Muguruza! I’m shocked and saddened she suffered from narcissistic abuse. No wonder she turned away from tennis. I hope she is healing and finds her self esteem and happiness back. The last seasons she played, was hard to watch- one could witness her suffering and despair. Now it all makes sense.
I JUST COMMENTED THIS! Garbine used to scream at him on court in such a panicked way. I have been her fan for over 10 years. I knew he was a sick individual bc she was so so so out of character with him.
Brilliant
More tennis players please 👍
I don't like tennis bit that was excellent.
And thank god Simon reminded us how much he earned from selling his company.
At long last!
An actual active big name in sport
Coward
Great interview and guest
Has Simon ever been in business and made money? Just he’s never mentioned it before 😅
Totally! It really grates on me every time he says that. Every blessed interview! I watch these interviews despite Jordan being there not because he’s there.
Totally wrong in banning Russian and Belorussian form Wimbledon last year in my opinion.
I've got the mega hots for Azarenka, seems like a proper sound person as well
This or James Graham’s podcast? I can’t decide which is the best! Can Simon Jordan play Rugby League instead of Paddle Tennis? I don’t know?
I think he more of rugby union fan over league because I heard him talk about going to Twickenham on talksport
What an elegant, classy, humble and intelligent lady, These so called middle class drunken yobs where they portray Wimbledon as a respectful place just proved the opposite..This was a brilliant interview from Simon..oh the mainstream British media should be ashamed of themselves.
I didnt think elite athletes were subjected to this current ban,I am sure that there was some political intervention. Although i am only surmising i would have thought Victoria has citizenship of another country and a compromise could have been achieved .
Excellent interview
Wimbledon should be ashamed for the way they treated Victoria she is such a fantastic athlete never gives up i love the woman