Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka says she wants to draw a line under a disastrous 2014, when she struggled with depression and turned to painting for therapy.
<img title="Victoria Azarenka" src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/2015/jan/V-Azarenka1701.jpg" alt="Victoria Azarenka" /> Victoria Azarenka. Pic/Getty Images.
The Belarusian former World No 1 admitted a string of injuries and a broken romance took a toll on her psyche last year when she slid down the rankings.
Unseeded journey The 25-year-old goes into the season-opening Grand Slam at Melbourne Park next week unseeded and ranked 41st on the women&rsquo;s tour, a far cry from her back-to-back titles at the same venue in 2012 and 2013.
&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to sound like a mental person but, yeah, I was (depressed),&rdquo; she told reporters in Brisbane last week when asked about her trials in 2014. &ldquo;When you&rsquo;re in those moments its difficult to recognise that because you think you&rsquo;re fine... I think the first time that I admitted that I wasn&rsquo;t OK it made me feel a little bit better.&rdquo;
Emotional outburst She found comfort in painting, providing an emotional outlet for a player renowned in the past for fiery on-court outbursts &mdash; at one point smearing colours onto her clothes as she worked on a canvas.
&ldquo;I was upset, and I was lazy, and I just wiped my hands on my shirt, just everything on my shirt, on my pants. And I woke up the next day and had a meeting in this restaurant with Nike people, and I didn&rsquo;t feel like dressing up. I just put on that shirt and those pants, and I come into the restaurant.&rdquo;
Azarenka&rsquo;s woes began with a left foot injury that sidelined her for three months after the 2014 Australian Open, where she made the quarter-finals. A knee injury followed, then there was a problem with her other foot which ended her season in September.
Compounding her misery was a mid-year split from long-term boyfriend Stefan Gordy, better known as Redfoo, the US musician and reality TV star whose trademark corkscrew hairdo was a frequent sight among Azarenka&rsquo;s entourage at high-profile tournaments.

Victoria&nbsp;Azarenka found comfort in painting, providing an emotional outlet for a player renowned in the past for fiery on-court outbursts

Victoria Azarenka paints away depression blues

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Victoria&nbsp;Azarenka found comfort in painting, providing an emotional outlet for a player renowned in the past for fiery on-court outbursts

Victoria Azarenka paints away depression blues

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Victoria Azarenka paints away depression blues

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