Tennis star Azarenka in Qatar just to watch Messi

Tennis star Victoria Azarenka finally had the chance to see her idol Lionel Messi in action – though it was not the result she was hoping to see. 

The Belarusian shared a snapshot of herself in attendance at the Lusail Iconic Stadium in Qatar as Argentina took on Saudi Arabia in a Group C clash at this year’s World Cup. 

In the end, Saudia Arabia claimed a shock 2-1 victory over the pre-tournament favourites but Azarenka was nonetheless satisfied that she had finally witnessed the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner in action.

“[It’s] been my life dream to see Messi play for Argentina,” she tweeted. 

Azarenka was born in Minsk and represents Belarus in tennis. 

The 33-year-old is a two-time major winner, having won the 2012 and 2013 Australian Open. 

She is also a former world number one and has won 21 career titles in total. 

Currently, Azarenka is ranked 37th in the world and last won a title in August 2020 at the Cincinnati Open. 

It’s unclear exactly why Azarenka loves the PSG star so much but she has been following Messi for more than a decade now. 

Back in 2011, Azarenka tweeted: “Got a Messi signed Barca jersey as a gift for New Years. I was so happy and still am. Now I’m an official big fan lol.” 

The Belarusian also spoke about Messi in 2015 and lauded the forward’s ability. 

“What Messi does on a football field is simply unthinkable,” she told Goal.com. “I had the pleasure of seeing him at the stadium once in Barcelona and, for me, he is amazing. 

“The way he walks from side to side, and once he sees an opportunity, he simply creates magic.

Though Argentina suffered defeat, Messi still managed to get himself on the scoresheet, courtesy of a well-taken penalty. 

Argentina’s chances of progressing have now taken a huge hit and they will most likely need to beat both Mexico and Poland to guarantee a spot in the knockout stages. 

This is likely to be Messi’s final World Cup and many neutrals are hopeful that one of football’s finest players can sign off his career in style. 

But this result was proof that there is no such thing as an easy game in a major tournament – even if you are playing the world’s 51st-ranked team.