Will Victoria Azarenka Become a Dominant Player on the WTA Tour?

Serena Williams remains the No. 1 player on the WTA Tour. However, this year, the most dominant player is Victoria Azarenka. 

She's lost just one match this year and won three WTA titles. That's three more titles than Williams. She's also on a 16-match winning streak. Her only loss this year came at the Australian Open to eventual champion Angelique Kerber.

Azarenka survived the first two rounds of the 2016 Madrid Open even as higher seeds crashed out. With so few points to defend going into the French Open and Wimbledon, Azarenka has a shot at reclaiming the No. 1 ranking.

She just might be the player who dominates the WTA in the post-Williams era. 

A two-time Australian Open champion and former No. 1, Azarenka looks like the only player ready to dethrone Williams. Agnieszka Radwanska and Kerber are ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. But in a Williams-less tournament in Madrid, they both lost their opening matches. 

Meanwhile, Azarenka marches on. After struggling with injuries the previous two years, Azarenka is back in the top five. 

Reem Abulleil of the blog Sport360 wrote that "Azarenka has surrounded herself with the right team. Between Wim Fissette, Simona Halep’s ex-coach, and Sascha Bajin, Serena Williams’ former hitting partner, Vika finally has her squad and they all mean business."

With wins at Indian Wells and Miami, Azarenka joined Steffi Graf (1994, 1996) and Kim Clijsters (2005) as the only women to win those tournaments back-to-back.  

After winning the Miami Open, Azarenka was asked about the clay-court season and her struggles at the French Open. She told reporters, per Tennis.com: "I always been a high favorite of proving people wrong, and that's what also motivates me a lot." 

If Azarenka can claim her first French Open title, might she dominate the WTA the same way Novak Djokovic has dominated the ATP World Tour?  

Julian Finney/Getty Images

She's the same age that Djokovic was two years ago when he separated himself from the pack to emerge as the most dominant player in the sport.

Two years ago, Djokovic was considered one of the Big Four. Andy Murray had won the 2013 Wimbledon. In 2014, Stan Wawrinka won the Australian Open and Rafael Nadal won the French Open.

That year, Djokovic won Wimbledon. It was his first Grand Slam title since the 2013 Australian Open. At the time Nadal was ranked No. 2, Murray No. 3 and Federer No. 4. 

Federer continued to hang around the top four but was less of a threat. Nadal and Murray would both face setbacks due to injuries. That's when Djokovic took over. 

A similar window appears open for Azarenka. Williams is the same age as Federer and hasn't won a title since August. Meanwhile, Maria Sharapova is dealing with a drug suspension. 

Azarenka has the game and confidence to make a run. Besides her two Australian Open titles, she has two U.S. Open final appearances. Both of those losses were to Williams, who is 17-4 against Azarenka.

All of Azarenka's wins against Williams have come in finals at premier tournaments: Miami (2009), Doha (2013), Cincinnati (2013) and Indian Wells (2016). Yet Azarenka has never beaten Williams at a Grand Slam or on grass or clay. 

Those are two important thresholds for Azarenka must cross: defeating Williams at a Grand Slam and winning at Wimbledon and the Roland Garros.

Even though Williams is at the end of her career, every win over her serves as motivation for Azarenka. 

After winning the Miami Open, Azarenka told reporters, per ASAP Sports transcripts that: “Serena is, I have said it many times, one of the players who makes me push myself, and with the stats and records, she owns pretty much all the records there. She's the toughest competitor there is. And for me there is a great challenge to have her, because it always will push me to improve."

When asked if she thought she was the best player on the tour, Azarenka responded, per ASAP Sports: "When I say that I believe in myself and I believe I'm good, there is no other way to go on the court. If you're not going on the court feeling you're the best player, just don't go."

Merlisa Lawrence Corbett covers tennis for Bleacher Report. Follow her on Twitter @merlisa.