U.S. Open; Victoria Azarenka may be out amid custody battle

Victoria Azarenka said her participation in the upcoming U.S. Open is in doubt because she might not be able to bring her baby to New York as a result of her separation from his father.

Azarenka announced via Twitter on Thursday that she and her son's father are working "to resolve some of the legal processes." The two-time Australian Open champion also noted that she would need to leave her 8-month-old son, Leo, in California while playing at Flushing Meadows, "which I'm not willing to do."

"Balancing child care and a career is not easy for any parent, but it is a challenge I am willing to face and embrace," Azarenka added. "I want to support men and women everywhere who know it is OK to be a working mother -- or father. No one should ever have to decide between a child and their career. We are strong enough to do both."

Azarenka, 28, said she hopes to reach an agreement with her son's father prior to the start of U.S. Open, which begins on Aug. 28.

"I remain optimistic that in the coming days Leo's father and I can put aside any differences and take steps in the right direction to more effectively work as a team and agree on an arrangement for all three of us to travel and for me to compete but, more importantly to ensure that Leo has a consistent presence from both of his parents," Azarenka wrote.

Azarenka, who is from Belarus, has played in just two tournaments since the 2016 French Open. She withdrew from this week's Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.