"Unfortunately have to withdraw from the Canadian Open due to my visa not being approved" - Victoria Azarenka

Two-time Major champion Victoria Azarenka has been forced to withdraw from this year's Canadian Open in Toronto due to her "visa not being approved."

Azarenka was due to face Belinda Bencic in the first round on Monday, but the Swiss will now face a lucky loser instead.

The 33-year-old Belarusian, who would have featured in her 11th Canadian Open, took to Twitter on Sunday to announce her withdrawal due to unfortunate circumstances.

The way Azarenka worded her announcement makes it seem that her visa was rejected, which is a bit surprising.

"Hello everyone! I wanted to inform you that I unfortunately have to withdraw from the tournament in Toronto due to my visa not being approved," Victoria Azarenka wrote.

Had Azarenka's visa been approved and she had gotten past Bencic, a second-round meeting against Serena Williams would have been highly likely for the Belarusian.

The Belarusian expressed her disappointment at the news of missing one of her "favorite tournaments" but informed fans that she is looking forward to the subsequent WTA 1000 event in Cincinnati.

"Its truly disappointing. Its very sad to miss one of my favourite tournaments," she added. "I love to play in Canada with great fans and a place where I made many friends over the years. Good luck to everyone at the event. See you in Cincinnati!"

A brief look at Victoria Azarenka's record at the Canadian Open

Victoria Azarenka in the 2014 Rogers Cup, which took place in Montreal

Victoria Azarenka has contested the Canadian Open 10 times throughout her career, with the semifinals being her best-ever finish. She lost in the semifinals in three of her first four appearances at the event - 2008, 2010, and 2011.

The Belarusian's defeats in those editions came against Dinara Safina, Vera Zvonareva, and Serena Williams.

Canada has not been a happy hunting ground for Azarenka since 2011, with three second-round exits and one third-round exit. That said, Azarenka has made the quarterfinals of the event twice since then - 2014 and most recently in 2021.

Overall, the 33-year-old has a 20-10 win-loss record in the tournament and is one of the four WTA 1000 events she is yet to win. Azarenka will now look forward to the Cincinnati Open, where she is a two-time champion.

The Belarusian triumphed in the American WTA 1000 event in 2013 and most recently in 2020.