Australian Open 2012 Finals: Victoria Azarenka is Future of Women's Tennis

Victoria Azarenka won the 2012 Australian Open, and she is now ready to become the top women's tennis player in the world.

Azarenka won some easy matches and she won some difficult matches. Regardless, she came through when it mattered most, and she won her first Grand Slam.

Now, with her brand-new No. 1 ranking, Azarenka is ready to become a dominant force.

She turned pro in 2003, and she has consistently gotten better since then.

She reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinals in 2009 (French Open and Wimbledon). Then, she went to the 2010 Australian Open quarters, the 2011 French Open quarters, and finally the 2011 Wimbledon semifinals.

Then, to start this year, she won the Australian Open.

See a trend?

Azarenka has progressively gotten better as she learned her way around the tour, and she started to get further and further in tournaments. Finally, she won a Grand Slam.

Now, with the No. 1 ranking in hand, Azarenka can continue to win Grand Slams, knowing she is capable.

She has proved that she can win a Grand Slam, and she is only 22 years old. The mid-20s is usually when tennis players start raking in the trophies.

If Azarenka is the real deal, this is just the beginning.

She should be considered the real deal, mainly because there aren't many other good players.

Caroline Wozniacki, the current No. 1 player, still hasn't won a Grand Slam. Petra Kvitova has won Wimbledon, but she has struggled everywhere else (although it should be noted that she made it to the semis at the Australian Open).

As for Samantha Stosur and Li Na, they were both ousted from the Australian Open early.

And this is supposed to be Azarenka's top competition?

Azarenka is about to enter her prime. She has consistently improved over her career, and she is ready to start winning Grand Slams. Furthermore, without much competition, there is no reason to think she won't take the tennis world by storm.

Just be ready for Azarenka's name to keep coming up, because she is the future of women's tennis.