EASTBOURNE, England (AP) — Former top-ranked Victoria Azarenka will return to competition next week at the Eastbourne grass-court tournament following a three-month layoff with a left foot injury.
Tournament organizers say the Belarusian accepted a wild card entry Wednesday for the Wimbledon warm-up event.
Azarenka last played on tour at Indian Wells, California, on March 7. She missed the French Open.
Azarenka, currently ranked No. 8, is a two-time Australian Open champion and a two-time U.S. Open runner-up. She’s a two-time Wimbledon semifinalist.
Azarenka says “I’ve worked hard to rehabilitate my injury and to get fit for my return.”
She says Eastbourne will offer the “perfect preparation for Wimbledon,” which starts June 23.
Azarenka reached the Eastbourne final in 2010, losing to Ekaterina Makarova.
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