Fan's View: Can Victoria Azarenka Win a True Grand Slam in 2012?

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus completely dominated Maria Sharapova of Russia in the 2012 Australian Open women's singles final. Azarenka dispatched Sharapova in straight sets, 6-3, 6-0, in a match that lasted just 1 hour, 22 minutes.

After such a dominating performance in the Aussie Open final, a question needs to be asked: Can Victoria Azarenka win a true Grand Slam in 2012?

In order to win a true Grand Slam in tennis, a player must win all four Grand Slam titles in a calender year. The four Grand Slam tennis tournaments are the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open.

I've been a tennis player and tennis fan for over four decades now. I've watched some unbelievably great women tennis players over the years, but very few of them have ever won a true Grand Slam in a calendar year. Chris Evert never won one, neither did Martina Navratilova or Serena Williams. In fact, only two women have ever won a true Grand Slam since the Open Era began in 1968.

The two women who have won true Grand Slams are Margaret Court in 1970, and Steffi Graf in 1988. Both Court and Graf won the women's singles titles at the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in one calender year.

Can Victoria Azarenka do it in 2012?

Victoria Azarenka at the French Open

The best finish Victoria Azarenka has had so far at the French Open is the quarterfinals, which she reached in both 2009 and 2011. Clay is not Victoria's best surface, as she has won 68.97 percent of her clay-court matches so far in her career vs. 73.68 percent of her hard-court matches like at the Australian Open.

Victoria Azarenka at Wimbledon

Azarenka has a lifetime winning percentage of 70.73%percent playing on grass. Her best finish at Wimbledon was last year in 2011, when she made the semifinals, before losing to eventual winner Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic.

Victoria Azarenka at the U.S. Open

Victoria Azarenka has never made it past the fourth round at the U.S. Open. Given the way she played on the hard-court surface in Australia, I find that a little surprising, since she clearly has a great hard-court game.

In winning the Australian Open, Victoria Azarenka broke through and won her first Grand Slam singles title. It's a lot to think she can go on and win Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open this year too. But her win over Maria Sharapova in the final was dominant, and Azarenka did not have too much trouble defeating 2011 Australian Open winner Kim Clijsters in the semifinals.

Since she was so dominant down under, I don't think anybody can say with 100 percent certainty that Victoria Azarenka cannot go on and win a true Grand Slam in 2012. Her record on clay, though, is a little troublesome, though she has won a tournament on clay before. It will be interesting to see how she does at Roland Garros in May.

So will Victoria Azarenka win a true Grand Slam in tennis in 2012? I don't believe she will, but I'd love to see her do it, and will be watching to see how she does at the French Open in a few months.