Azarenka withdraws from US Open amid child custody dispute

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2015 Tennis US Open - Simona Halep vs. Victoria Azarenka at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center - Day 10 Featuring: Victoria Azarenka Where: New York City, New York, United States When: 09 Sep 2015 Photo: WENN/Credit: Macguyver/WENN.com

NEW YORK (AP) — Victoria Azarenka says she won’t play in the U.S. Open because of an ongoing custody dispute with her infant son’s father.

The two-time Australian Open champion had hinted in a Twitter post last week that she may have to pull out of the year’s final Grand Slam event. The Belarus star announced her withdrawal Monday, saying she is “sadly unable” to play because of her “ongoing family situation.”

The formerly top-ranked Azarenka gave birth to her son, Leo, in December. She returned to the tour in June. She said she separated from her son’s father shortly after Wimbledon.

She had said last week she hoped to work out her differences with Leo’s father so she could play in the tournament without leaving her son in California.

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