Victoria Azarenka has admitted it will be even harder to remain at the top than it was to get there.
Azarenka enjoying the attention in Qatar
Victoria Azarenka has admitted it will be even harder to remain at the top than it was to get there.
Azarenka made her first Grand Slam final appearance a winning one when she crushed Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open last month.
That victory also took her to the top of the world rankings for the first time, putting the Belarusian under the full glare of the media spotlight.
But with a new-found confidence Azarenka is looking forward to the new challenges ahead as she prepares to return to action in Qatar on Wednesday.
Exciting
"There is probably going to be extra motivation [for players to beat me], but it's kind of exciting," she said.
"Every time I step on court I have a tougher task to handle.
"I've worked really hard to get in this position so I have to deal with it now.
"I would definitely say I get a lot more attention than I did a month ago, but I'm still just a hard-working tennis player who wants to achieve more goals."
Ana Ivanovic is one player who was unable to deal with the increased attention after winning the French Open in 2007.
Challenge
The Serbian has never looked the same but is battling her way back up the rankings after battling injuries and a loss of form.
"The girls who are at the top at the moment are playing very aggressively and that's the way you have to play to win," said Ivanovic. "It is a big challenge for us to raise ourselves to their level.
"It's still a long way to go to the top where I want to be, but I'm enjoying the process. That's why I'm here. If I didn't think [I could return to number one] I probably wouldn't be sitting here."
