MINSK, 11 August (BelTA) – Victoria Azarenka of Belarus may miss out on the US Open because of the ongoing custody battle with her ex-boyfriend and the father of her eight-month-old son Leo, Laura Wasser, a lawyer of the Belarusian tennis player, told the media.
Billy McKeague, the baby's father, with whom Victoria Azarenka parted last month, filed custody papers in Los Angeles. A judge ruled that Leo cannot leave California during the custody hearings. It is expected that the hearings will be extended through October, which means that Victoria Azarenka will have to miss the US Open in New York scheduled for 28 August-10 September or agree to stay apart with her son during the tournament. Victoria Azarenka does not believe her ex-boyfriend is capable of caring for the eight-month-old baby.
The lawyer also said that Victoria Azarenka offered to buy a plane ticket for McKeague and put him up in a hotel for the two-week US Open but the judge said no. Moreover, the court in Los Angeles is not going to turn the case over to Belarus, which Victoria Azarenka hoped for. There were also media reports that the Belarusian player hired Zeev Valner, one of the best Israeli lawyers in family law. He is going to help take the custody case over to Belarus.
Victoria Azarenka's fan group in VKontakte launched an information campaign to support the Belarusian tennis player.
