Mother and son were wearing sunglasses and Leo was asked how Azarenka had played.
Azarenka replied, “Thank you for that,” before bursting out laughing along with the assembled reporters.
The 32-year-old Azarenka became the first player to reach the round of 16 at this year’s edition of the Australian Open after a comfortable win over Svitolina.
The Belarusian is aiming for her third title in Melbourne, after winning consecutive titles in 2012 and 2013.
Despite not having made it to the fourth round of the grand slam since 2016, Azarenka showed no signs of nervousness and won without too much trouble in just over an hour.
Azarenka was asked if Leo who was at the grand slam in Melbourne had been a distraction or helped her relax. “All of the above,” replied the tennis star, jokingly.
“It’s definitely not a distraction, I’ll never say that. Being a parent isn’t easy,” she explained. “He is full of personality. Of course I don’t know where he gets it from.
“But I always feel privileged to have him here. Moments like these are really invaluable to me. To be able to share that with my son is quite incredible.”
In an Instagram post at the time, Azarenka revealed they were “solving some legal proceedings” and said she was “unwilling” to leave her son in California to travel to New York.
“Balancing childcare and a career isn’t easy for any parent, but it’s a challenge that I love and take on,” she said.
“I want to support men and women everywhere who know it’s okay to be a working mom or dad. No one should ever have to choose between a child and his or her career, we’re strong enough to do both.”
Azarenka will now face French Open champion and fourth seed Barbora Krejcikova in the next round.
