Azarenka's comeback passes through Philadelphia

Being the main attraction of a World TeamTennis club works a little bit differently than it does in other professional sports. It is more akin to a rock star making a special appearance than anything else.

A few days before making her debut with the Freedoms, Victoria Azarenka had yet to visit the city. She did not know many of her teammates.

But when the world's 10th-ranked player steps on the court Tuesday night at the Villanova Pavilion against the San Diego Aviators, that will matter little for her or anyone else.

The Freedoms will be happy for her star power, and Azarenka will be thrilled just to be playing competitively again.

The 24-year-old from Belarus, the world's former No. 1 and a two-time Australian Open champion, is in the early stages of returning from a left-foot injury that forced her to miss three months.

Azarenka returned to play one tournament before leaping back into deep waters at Wimbledon. She fell to world No. 45 Bojana Jovanovski in the second round.

There may have been easier - or at least lower-profile - venues for her return, but Azarenka was ready. So, she figured, why not?

"For me, difficult is not an obstacle. I've never been looking for an easy way. I was ready to see if I could play and that was important," Azarenka said. "I'm being realistic and I know what I need - I need practice, I need matches, and that takes time. It didn't discourage me in any way."

When she was drafted by Freedoms owner Billie Jean King in February, Azarenka did not know she would be desperate for court time come July. But she was familiar with the concept of World TeamTennis, and flattered that King asked her to play.

This will be Azarenka's third appearance in World TeamTennis - she was the rookie of the year in 2006 - but her first since 2010.

"Tennis can be such an individual sport, and this is a time of the year when you can really team up. . . . You bond and you meet some players you didn't know before," Azarenka said. "I'm sure we're going to have some fun, and we're going to win."

Azarenka hopes to be in better form when the U.S. Open rolls around at the end of August, but she is not ready to set any specific benchmarks. For now, she said, her recovery is all about process.

"My goals are never going to change. My mentality is to win and do the best I can. The result is what comes after that," Azarenka said. "Of course, I want to win everything, but I know I need to put in work and hours, and we'll see what happens."