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Victoria Azarenka wears PSG star Mbappe’s jersey during Indian Wells practice 

The two-time champ also donned a PSG shirt after every match at the Australian Open—and it proved to be a lucky charm, as she went on to reach the semifinals.

ByStephanie Livaudais

Published Mar 07, 2023

WATCH: Victoria Azarenka defeats Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the 2023 Dubai first round

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Victoria Azarenka has become an international one-woman cheering squad for French soccer club Paris Saint-Germain in recent years, and the two-time BNP Paribas Open champion was back at it in Indian Wells.

The No. 14 seed was seen at a practice session on Tuesday rocking star Kylian Mbappe’s PSG shirt, a recently released fourth-kit collab between Nike and Jordan Brand.

It’s far from the first time that Azarenka suited up in Parisian colors on court: She donned a PSG shirt after every match at the Australian Open—and it proved to be a lucky charm, as she reached her first Grand Slam semifinal in over two years.

The 33-year-old told press in Melbourne that she became a fan during David Beckham’s stint at the Paris-based club, and has followed them ever since supporting the likes of Lionel Messi, Mbappe and Neymar.

She’s passed on that passion to son Leo, 7, who wore a matching version of Azarenka’s PSG shirts during AO while watching from home—and now the duo are taking their fandom on the road along the WTA Tour.

“It was me who discovered the club. Leo adores their shirt and all their kit, and he loves Lionel Messi as well,” Azarenka said in Melbourne. “I also watch the Premier League, La Liga and the French championship.

“It is something I really like to do to get away from the tennis world. I love going to the stadium, it is my favorite thing, and the Parc des Princes is the best stadium in my opinion.

"Even if it is not as big as the others, the atmosphere is crazy. I took my son and my nephew this year—they had eyes which shone with joy.”

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Cameras also caught the mom and son sharing an adorable moment on the lawn at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. (above)

A popular spot for players to hang out, warm up or kick around a soccer ball, Azarenka and Leo ran through some goalkeeping drills together during a bit of downtime. Leo was rocking a yellow FC Barcelona jersey—a nod to Messi’s former team—while Azarenka wore (of course) Paris sweatpants.

The Belarusian is seeded No. 14 at the BNP Paribas Open and, after a bye, awaits the winner of Yulia Putintseva and Karolina Muchova in the second round. Azarenka won the Indian Wells trophy in 2012 and 2016, and reached the final in 2021 before falling to Paula Badosa.