Coming into Indian Wells, there has been plenty of talk about how Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are in desperate need of a noteworthy performance.  But in all of that talk, a top star of the WTA has been largely overlooked.  Victoria Azarenka has been in a world of both physical and mental hurt throughout the bulk of the season thus far.  Just like Djokovic and Murray on the men’s side, therefore, she needs a solid result in the desert to get her 2014 campaign back on track.

To her credit, Azarenka started this season in impressive fashion by reaching the final of Brisbane, a result she desperately needed given how dismally last season ended for her.  She looked fairly good in Melbourne, too, before she ran into an inspired Agnieszka Radwanska in the quarterfinals.  Azarenka won a combined total of just one game in the first and third sets against the Pole, though.  Since she was the defending champion, her loss also translated to a dip in her ranking points.  And the downward trend did not stop there.

Following the Australian Open, it was revealed that Azarenka had sustained a foot injury, which might have contributed to the uncharacteristically high number of unforced errors in her defeat to Radwanska.  It was an injury that would continue to plague her in the aftermath of the Australian Open, as Azarenka was forced to withdraw from Doha and Dubai.  The Doha withdrawal in particular must have hurt, since she was defending champion there as well and suffered a further hit to her ranking. 

Despite these setbacks, Azarenka decided to give it a go at Indian Wells.  Considering that she was still in a walking boot just a few weeks ago and comes into the event with less than a week’s practice, things certainly look ominous for her chances in the desert.

If Azarenka is sufficiently fit, however, Indian Wells could prove just the event to move her back in the right direction.  She was handed a very workable draw in one of the weaker quarters.  With the possible exception of an in-form upstart like Madison Keys, it is hard to envision anyone prior to the last eight presenting her with an insurmountable challenge if she is able to play near her best level.  With Australian Open champion Li Na and Maria Sharapova in the opposite half, she has plenty of room to work her way into the event and hone her game.

Azarenka can also come into this event swinging a little freer than she did in Australia, for she has fewer points to defend at the BNP Paribas Open.  She advanced to the quarterfinals here last year before she was forced to withdraw and hand Caroline Wozniacki a spot in the semifinals.  So, even if Azarenka ultimately falls short of the title, she still has an excellent opportunity to at least equal her performance of 2013 and possibly build on it.

A final factor in Azarenka’s favor is that she has enjoyed success at Indian Wells in the past.  Not only does she have a few quarterfinal appearances under her belt, but she reached the semifinals here in 2009 and emerged as the champion in 2012.  Sometimes it just takes the memories of past success to breed future success, and Azarenka could benefit from that notion at this year’s edition of the BNP Paribas Open.

Whether Azarenka is able to take advantage of the positives working in her favor will come down to whether or not her foot injury will allow her.  She is rolling the dice by risking further injury in an effort to get her game and ranking moving in the right direction.  But, if her foot is on the mend and sufficiently fit to play, it is a gamble that could have plenty of positive ramifications for her going forward in 2014.